


Checking Out

by TabisMouse



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Abuse, All characters are of age in story, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, BDSM, Dubious Consent, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, M/M, Past Underage, Pederasty, Romance, Rough Sex, Switch Hux, Switch Kylo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-28
Updated: 2016-05-28
Packaged: 2018-07-10 16:47:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 29,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6996382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TabisMouse/pseuds/TabisMouse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Flights are grounded as a blizzard sweeps through town and Manager Hux is frustrated enough at having to man the front desk against the influx of irritated and irrational hotel guests. The arrogant, self-important ‘Designer’ antagonizing the staff isn’t helping. Hux wants to strangle him, just a bit, but he wants to strangle himself more for finding such an obviously terrible human being incredibly attractive.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I was lucky to work with the incomprable [the-pudding-is-a-lie](http://the-pudding-is-a-lie.tumblr.com/)for this Big Bang. Go check out her blog and see her artwork at the end of Chapter 2 (spoiler: it's amazing)
> 
> Warning: some mentions of racist thoughts and senseless destruction of inanimate objects.
> 
> I know there is concern within this fandom about the content of fics and tags. I have done my best to tag appropriately. If you'd like a further explanation of the content of this fic, please take advantage of KnightofHux's breakdown and expansion of my tags/warnings [HERE](http://knightofhux.tumblr.com/post/145622605262/checking-out-tabismouse-star-wars-episode-vii). Though her analysis isn't spoilery in that it reveals the end of the fic, it does explain some of the events within the fic. Note: this is not a review or an endorsement on the part of KnightofHux for this fic, merely an unbiased analysis by a disinterested third party.

_ “What do you mean flights are canceled?!” _

_ “I’m sorry, sir, the weather has made it impossible to-” _

_ Ben Solo turned and stomped away, already ignoring the woman at the counter. He cursed as anxiety flared in his chest. He had trouble breathing around the vice clamping around his lungs.  _ Fuck _. The portfolio in his hand seemed to weigh a ton. He’d completed the drawings for the day-after-tomorrow’s presentation last night in his hotel room. He  _ had _ to fly back to San Francisco  _ tonight _. Fear pulsed through every beat of his heart as he imagined John’s disappointed face. _

_ Ice cold wind blasted him as he stepped out of the airport. He looked around, feeling lost. The sky was a deep, oppressive grey, flakes fell, fat and heavy, to sting his skin. Frost chilled his fingers, his face. Somehow he had to make this work.  _

_ “Hey you need a cab?” A man shouted at him from the window of a yellow car. _

_ Ben nodded and opened the door. “Just to the nearest hotel,” Ben said, folding forward and burying his face in his hands. _

 

Hux stood ramrod straight as the crotchety old bat across the counter berated him with every trick in the entitled hotel-guest toolbox. His grin curved in precise sincerity as he listened, clear-eyed and focused, to her crusty old voice prattle on as he imagined verbally destroying her. 

“I’m so sorry, ma’am, of course I understand; it  _ is _ frustrating when technology makes mistakes,” he said instead.  He broke eye contact to look down at the computer screen tucked behind the partition of the reception desk. “Unfortunately it seems that there was a glitch with the third-party vendor and your reservation is nowhere in our system.” He looked back at her and nodded to the wash of white flurries whipping in the air beyond the front doors of the hotel. “Because of the blizzard, we are a bit fuller than usual, but I believe we may still have a few rooms available.” He tapped noisily on the keyboard and looked pointedly back to the screen. Half his job was just putting on a good show.

From the corner of his eye he saw her draw herself up and square her shoulders, a deep breath expanding her chest to its fullest. “Well-”

“Please,” he said, cutting off the approaching tirade with smooth ease, “accept a free upgrade to one of our remaining suites, and these vouchers for drinks from the bar, along with this coupon for half off your next stay with us.”

“I-” She gaped. Hux let himself preen mentally as he watched the wind visibly deflate from her sails. “Well, I-” 

_ Come on, old bat, try to whine at me now,  _ he thought while keeping his smile from becoming too fixed. “Would you like someone to help you with your bags to your room?” 

“Um...I suppose.”

Hux widened his smile to precise appeasement, envisioning planting a solid kick on her over-large posterior. 

“Fed,” he said over his shoulder, “help Ms. Escobedo to room 212, please.” The bellboy behind the counter made a grunt and walked around the counter to help the old-woman. 

The receptionist phone began to ring, a loud abrasive shrilling. His assistant manager, Phasma, stepped next to him and answered it, still flushed from fast-walking through the lobby. 

Hux refused to sigh, but he fantasized about rubbing his hands over his eyes and stretching his neck. He let himself look at the line of guests still queueing in front of him. He cursed Dallas weather and the southern inability to deal with the snow, purposefully ignoring the fact that he’d lived in North Texas all his life. 

The children with the woman 3 people back in line squealed and toppled over each other as the couple at the front stepped up to his counter.  _ Damn breeders and their miscreants _ . Phasma put the call on hold and stepped into the office behind the reception desk and Hux dismissed her and the call from his mind.

“A room for the night, Sir, Ma’am?” He asked, nodding to the ragged, exhausted looking couple leaning against one another across from him. The man offered a wan smile and requested a single. 

“He’s back at it.” Phasma’s voice pricked at Hux’s ears, coming through the cracked office door. He focused his attention back to the couple as the sound of one of the hotel radio’s static fuzzed behind him. 

“Yes we have a single room available. For just one night? How will you be paying, sir?” Hux asked. 

“Fed, when you’re done swing by 322 and help Mr. Picky with his shower.” Phasma’s voice kept pulling at his attention. 

_ Damn Room 322,  _ he thought,  _ plumbing still acting up _ . He tried to put it from his mind and focus on the line of guests, but the problem with being the man in charge was, he couldn’t. He hadn’t even been scheduled to work tonight. It was to have been his first night off in weeks and he’d intended on spending it relaxing with terrible food and terrible movies in the top-floor suite he claimed for his own. 

Hux blinked and focused back on the bedraggled couple and tried to recall their question. “Yes, sir, the rooms all come equipped with a full kitchen,” he replied to - he dredged up the name - Mr. Scott. 

The messenger on his screen popped up. “ _ Dealt with the crisis in 515, 322 is making trouble again. - Phasma _ .”

He finished the Scott reservation and held up his hand for the next guest to wait. 

“ _ What is it this time? _ ” He replied to Phasma. 

“ _ The shower didn’t heat up fast enough… or hot enough. -Phasma. _ ”

Mr. 322  _ had _ been Mr. 415 before he’d been Mr. 208. Apparently room 415 had a moldy smell and room 208 was a smoking room, an affront on his apparent dignity. 

“ _ He’s a piece of work. He’s screeching for a manager. - Phasma” _

“ _ Tonight is not the night for this shit, _ ” he replied. “ _ Come up here and deal with the rest of this and I’ll talk to him. _ ”

 

“Just another moment,” he said to the line of irritated guests. He felt a hand on the small of his back and Phasma spoke from behind him. 

“I can help the next guest, here,” Phasma said, pulling up the reservation software at the second computer behind the counter. 

Hux nodded to her and stepped back into the Manager’s office. 

He shut the door and let out the sigh he’d been holding for the last hour. This blizzard was going to fill their hotel right up, the curse of being right across from the airport.  _ Fucking Texas weather.  _ This was supposed to be their slow time, there wasn’t much business travel during the holiday. He tried to reassure himself that the effect on their bottom line would be worth it. He didn’t fall for his own lies.  

He slumped in his chair and plinked at the computer, pulling up the relevant guest-information. He grabbed for the phone and straightened into picture perfect posture as he dialed. 

“Hello, Solo speaking.” A deep and slightly nasal voice answered. A small portion of the back of his mind appreciated its resonant, gravelly texture. He shook his head.

“Yes, Mr. Solo this is Manager Hux with Imperial Hotel. I understand you are experiencing some difficulty with the shower of your room.”

“Yea, you know,” Mr. Solo said, “I know this hotel is kinda a dump but I didn’t expect it to be as shitty as this. Three terrible rooms is really too much. How hard is it to have a working shower?” 

Hux felt his hackles rise and he bit his lip, hard. He imagined strangling Mr. 322 with his bare hands as he spoke. No matter he’d never actually  _ seen _ Mr. 322. He’d been stocking his fridge with enough food to last the weekend when Phasma checked in Mr.  _ Solo _ , before everything went to shit and she’d called for reinforcements.

“I understand Mr. Solo,” Hux began. 

"Oh, hold up.” There was a muffled sound at the other end of the phone and the voice returned. “Your bellboy just showed up but I don’t see how he’s going to be able to do anything, I had the water running for a full half hour and it was frigid.”

“I do apologize, Mr. Solo-”

“Frigid you understand. This is beyond ridiculous.”

“Sir, if you’d like we can move you to a full sized suite and we will discount your whole stay, for the inconvenience. Also whatever you should chose to consume from your mini-bar this evening will be fully complementary.”

“Yeah,” the voice was curt and a heavy silence fell for a moment.

“If you’d wait just a moment, sir, I will be along  _ personally  _ to escort you and set you up in Suite 615.”

“Sure whatever.” The line went dead.

“Asshole,” Hux snarled at the phone.  _ I hate people,  _ all _ people, every last fucking person on this planet. _ He set up the new room for the new Mr. 615 in the system then pulled up the room inventory and let out a low whistle, they were nearly at capacity.

Stepping back to the reception desk, he counted the people in line and looked to the blizzard outside. He tapped Phasma’s hand and tapped the desk before moving to switch off the Vacancy sign light. She looked at him and gave a fractional nod in acknowledgment and he turned and made for the elevators. 

He closed his eyes as the elevator enclosed him and in his mind, again, he heard Mr. 615’s voice, no words, just their sound. Not for the first time in his life, Hux cursed his thing for deep masculine voices. Apparently the words didn’t matter, just the way it sounded was enough. 

He reached for his walkie-talkie as he stepped off the elevator. 

“Manuel,” he said, calling the hotel maintenance man. The walkie-talkie beeped and he waited a few steps then depressed the button again. “Manuel get off your lazy taco-eating ass and answer me.”

“Ye, boss,  _ si _ , I’m here,” Manuel’s voice sputtered back.

“I’m going to need you to take a look at the shower in 322.”

“Tonight, boss?”

“ _ Si, Manuel, _ too-nigh-eet,” he said, sharply, speaking the last word with a  forced Spanish accent.  _ Pinche cabron _ , Hux mentally swore at him in Spanish.

“Ok,  _ jefe _ , ok.” 

Hux sneered then smoothed his face as he arrived at room 322. He straightened his already perfect uniform, lifted a hand and knocked. 

“Hold up- coming.”  _ That _ voice resonated through the door and Hux mocked himself, only in his mind, of course. “I swear - this hotel is a fucking-”

As the latch of the door disengaged he spread his lips into a smile. Mr. 322 froze as he looked at Hux. “Oh,” he whispered. “Um.” His eyes raked up and down Hux.  _ Obvious much _ . “Um, hi I’m Ren-uh- Ben Solo, um.” He stood awkwardly, hands fluttering, one trying to jam itself into his pocket and the other carding through his hair. Hux noted that it was long, luxurious, beautiful. 

Hux blinked and gave a curt half-bow. “Mr. Solo I am incredibly sorry for the mishaps with your room. Hopefully this is the last inconvenience you’ll have while staying with us.” He raised an envelope. “Here is the key to your new room, if you’ll follow me.”

“Um, yeah,” Mr. 322 blushed and stood, obviously unsure what to do with his hands. “Well this has all been a big -um- pain in the ass. I hope this room is better?” The man ducked his head and looked at Hux through his lashes.

Hux wanted, so badly, to roll his eyes, but instead found himself smiling, an actual genuine smile.  _ This is cute. _ Mr. 322 obviously found Hux attractive and his bumbling  _ was _ cute, not nearly enough to offset how much of a dick he’d been but-. Hux noted the flush of pink at the tip of his left ear where it held back a lock of hair. 

“Is my bellboy still here?” Hux asked as Mr. 322 turned to go back for his bags. 

“Uh-”

“Here, sir.” Fed’s voice came from the bathroom, followed by his head, poking around the restroom door.

“Gather Mr. Solo’s bags please and follow us up,” Hux commanded. Fed nodded and disappeared back into the room.

Hux stepped back and gestured for the now Mr. 615 to walk ahead towards the elevators. “I hope sir,” he said as Mr. 615 began walking, falling into step just a touch behind him, “that you find the new room acceptable. It is one of our extended stay apartments.”

“Oh?” Mr. 615 asked, eyes looking at Hux before sliding behind them to watch Fed fuss with his suitcases. 

“Yes, sir,” Hux continued, inwardly delighting in Mr. 615’s obvious discomfort and barely concealed attraction. “King sized bed, full shower and tub, living room with a work station and a fully equipped kitchen. The hotel, however, does have a restaurant, should you prefer. And the receptionist can provide a sizable list of local eateries if you call down. Though, getting out might be a bit of a problem with this storm.”

The elevator opened and they filed into the car. 

“Uh, yeah, some weather,” Mr. 615 said. He stared up at the floor indicator lights above the elevator doors. 

“Texas,” Hux said as if in answer.

“My first time here,” Mr. 615 said.

“You’ll learn pretty quick if you don’t like the weather here, just wait. So what brings you to town? Business?”

Mr. 615 nodded and the elevator opened on the 6th floor. “If you’ll follow me, sir,” Hux said. As he walked ahead of his guest he let himself imagine that Mr. 615 was watching his ass. Hux had to admit it did look quite striking in his work uniform. There was no accounting for how much pleasure that thought brought, however. 

“Here we are, sir,” Hux said, reaching for the front pocket of his jacket where he’d stowed the key.

“Oh, yeah,” Mr. 615 said and waited as  Hux retrieved the key and opened the door. The guest stepped into the room and Hux reached a hand towards Fed, grabbing for the suitcases. “I’ll help Mr. Solo from here, thanks Fed.” He dismissed the bellboy and wheeled the suitcases into the room. 

“As you can see, this suite is more an apartment. Meant to be your home away from home for as long as you need.” Hux left the bags in the living room, while 615 watched him from the kitchen. Hux began switching on lights as he moved through the suite, sweeping the spaces with his eyes to ensure everything was perfectly arranged. “Do not hesitate, should you be hungry, to call down for room service and the bar is complimentary tonight.” He returned to the kitchen and bent to open the door of a small fridge under one of the counters. “As you can see it is well stocked.” 

He stood and turned to find that Mr. 615 had been standing right behind him. They were just a hair too close to one another and their eyes met. Mr. 615’s eyes darkened as they looked at one another and a stray lock of hair fell forward across his brow. Smoothly Hux stepped to the side, ignoring the slow flush rushing up the other man’s face at their proximity. 

“We are here to serve you.” He desperately wanted to clear his throat but he prided himself on unflappability. Without looking at his guest he stepped to the opposite counter. “Here is your key and let us know if there is anything else you need.”

“Uh, Manager?”

“Hux, sir,” Hux supplied, turning back. 

“Thank you. The room looks nice.” The smile that spread across Mr. 615’s face was awkward but sincere. Hux grinned again before turning to leave the room. He chuckled a bit as he made his way back to the manager’s desk.

 

_ Ben closed the door and tried to breathe. He brought a hand up to his stomach. The manager was stunning. Ben had always known he’d had a weakness for redheads but this was something else altogether. He wondered what Manager Hux’s hair felt like.  _ It looked like silk spun fire, and his eyes grey and green like soft moss.  _ He laughed aloud at the flowery language. “What am I fifteen?” _

_ He hadn’t wanted the man to leave. There was something to his precise, clipped way of moving, the way he spoke, how he seemed to easily assume control of everything around him and just  _ knew _ that the world was going to fall into place. That and the way the uniform hugged his long, slender legs.  _

_ Then his mind gleefully provided the memory of how he’d stood awkwardly gaping at the man, Hux. _

_ “Gah,” he huffed and he smacked a fist against the door. He pushed himself away from it and began to strip. His aborted shower in the last room had been decidedly unsatisfying. He let his shirt fall to the ground and shucked off his pants. He pulled open his suitcase and rummaged for underwear when his heart sank. His eyes scanned over his suitcases.  _

_ “Noooooooooo.” He turned in circles, panicked, checked everything again. He’d left his portfolio in the other room, all his sketches…. _

_ He straightened and smiled.  _ Well, just going to have to call down and send the manager to fetch them for me.  _ Ben began inwardly running lines to keep the man talking a little longer, just so Ben could look at him a little longer. Look and maybe more. He picked up his phone and dialed down to the reception desk. _

 

The line in front of the desk had shrunk considerably, only two guests left but Phasma had a pained look in her eye as she flashed her eyes up at him before flicking back to the guests. He stood beside her for a moment, listening as she helped an elderly gentleman before tapping her elbow. 

“Yes, Mr. Hall, we do accept traveler’s cheques.” He slid himself forward into her place and  heard her groan as she walked back to the office.  _ Must speak to her about slipping in front of the guests. _ He proceeded with booking Mr. Hall’s room when the phone again rang. He ignored it, trusting his Assistant Manager could deal with whatever it was on her own. 

A message flashed on the reception desk. “ _ Asshole in 615 is screeching at me again. Apparently he left something in his old room. He’s demanding the manager. -Phasma _ ”

Hux clenched his fists a moment before typing a response. “ _ Fine. I will deal with it. Come back up here. _ ” 

There was a press at his shoulder and he moved aside to let Phasma take the next guest. He stomped his way to the elevator, then to room 322. Sure enough, on the sofa was a large rectangular bag, and a tube for carrying large documents. He grabbed them and headed back up to the douchebag in room 615.

His knock at the door of 615 was sharp and perfunctory. If knocks could kill - well...

“ _ Coming _ .” 

Hux narrowed his eyes at the door. It opened to reveal Mr. Solo in nothing but one of the hotel’s white terry-cloth robes. Hux’s mind blanked for a second as he caught a glimpse of pale skin gleaming over ridges of muscle. He gave himself a shake and looked the guest in the face. The corner of his lip twitched up in a shy smile. 

“I told them to send the manager,” the man whispered almost to himself, satisfied. “Would you like to come in?” 

Hux blinked at the non-sequitur. Mr. 615 brought up a hand and wrapped long fingers along the edge of the door. “Things sounded pretty busy down there every time I called, and I thought you might need a break?” 

_ I believe I’m being propositioned. Pathetic. _ “It’s the blizzard. With the airport shut down there was a slew of last minute guests. We’re going to have a full house but at least we were able to get you situated because I don’t think it is letting up any time soon,” Hux found himself explaining.

“Yeah, even for a northerner this is something else,” Mr. 615 feigned a laugh, “you don’t get much snow down here do you?”

Hux sneered. “A few flurries and the whole damn city shuts down.” He snapped his mouth shut and nearly glared.  _ Like it’s his fault you can’t shut up. End this and get back downstairs, _ he growled at himself.

“Yeah, tell me about it,” Mr. Solo said. He tilted his head towards the hand still on the door, a finger hooking into his hair. His smile widened and a glint of  _ something _ sparkled his eyes. 

Hux felt a flush rush up the skin of his chest, creeping towards his neck and dusting his cheeks. “Here are your things, sir,” he said, sliding his gaze away as he proffered the items still in his hands while straining for an air of polite professionalism. 

“Right, thanks.” Mr. Solo grabbed for his things. Of course he made sure to brush his fingers over Hux’s hands. Hux was incensed that his heart decided to rush at the touch. “So if the city is shut down-” Hux looked back up at Mr. Solo. “How are  _ you  _ guys getting home?”

“We’ll manage,” Hux replied, needing to get away from this ridiculous man and his awkward flirtations and obscene hair and scandalous bathrobe. 

“You know,” Mr. Solo lowered his lashes again and paused, looking up through them at Hux. He bit his lower lip then drew a breath. 

_ Really?!  _ Hux wasn’t sure if he was appalled with Mr. Solo’s continued antics or the fact that now that his attention was there, he couldn’t stop looking at his guest’s mouth. It was wide, sensual and the lips were incredibly red.  

“You know, if you need a place to stay - you did say the hotel is pretty full and it seems this suite has a  _ sofa _ bed.” Mr. Solo half-said the word sofa, brushing over it so fast he might as well have not said it at all. 

Outraged at the interest that piqued in the back of his mind and the blood draining down from his face towards his groin, Hux drew himself up straight. “That is  _ absolutely _ unecessary. Thank you and good night, sir.”

He spun around and marched back down the hall. How  _ dare _ he?!

Unfortunately, Hux realized with self-disgust, he wasn’t nearly as outraged by the proposition as he should be.

He stalked into the elevator and his finger nearly shook with the self control it took to not pound the button for the ground floor into oblivion. 

The lobby, thankfully, was nearly empty and he made his way to the office to finish out the day’s bookings and close up. He grunted at Phasma as he passed her and let himself in the office to lose himself in paperwork, sums and numbers. Their bottom line was doing well, better than that, really, but he preferred to be conservative. 

The hotel was owned, nominally, by his mother’s father (one of the old man’s many ventures) but really it was his. The only thing he’d been left with after the fallout with the rest of his family 3 years ago. Grandpa Tarkin had always taken to Hux. He was the only one who had, really.  

After Hux’s failed bid to oust his sister for control of the family’s main holdings, he’d been left with nothing but this hotel and command from his grandfather to “make something of the mess he was in.”

Hux sighed and stretched the stiffness out of his back. Hopefully the weather cleared in the next day so he could give Grandpa Tarkin a good report on the hotel at their weekly brunch. 

“Doin’ ok?” 

Hux looked up to see Phasma leaning against the door. Hux nodded. “You?” He asked absently, returning to his work. She grunted and grimaced as she moved to sit across from him, legs sprawling out in front of her and taking up an un-ladylike amount of the room. He quirked his lip in a ghost smile. “I swear I’ll never understand why you take up with those beasts,” Hux mumbled as he carried a 3 and continued adding.

“That beast is my  _ baby _ ,” Phasma said. 

“Beast,” Hux sneered.

“Really, your family owns like half the ranch land around here, surely you’ve been around horses forever, this hatred of them is stupid.”

Hux curled his lip and looked to the computer. “Whatever, let them throw you around and fuck up your back, what do I care,” he replied, clicking through a few screens. “Who’s managing the desk?”

“Fed.” 

Hux nodded. “Do you need a place to crash?” Hux asked. “There’s no way you can drive home in all this.” 

“Yeah, I’m gonna crash in 322.”

“Manuel isn’t in there fixing the shower?”

Phasma shrugged. “He said he needed some supplies to get it done.”

“Fucking Mexican,” Hux snarled, “lazy ass doesn’t want to fix it.”

Phasma rolled her eyes. “It’s not like anything can be done for it tonight. I’ll crash there but can I come by and shower tomorrow?”

Hux nodded and waved. Phasma moved as if to stand then sank back. “Oh 615-”

“I got him sorted,” Hux said in a rush and cursed the flush he felt surging up his cheeks. He saw Phasma smile out of the corner of her eye.  _ Fuck Phasma _ . He glared at his computer screen hard enough that his spreadsheets began to blur, pointedly ignoring her.

“I thought he seemed your type.”

“He’s a prick.”

“So- your type.”

He fixed her with a flat stare. “You better get out before you find your room occupied.”

She rolled her eyes at him and stood. He barely noticed her leave as he focused on an error in the formula on the 3rd cell down of his spreadsheet. 

 

Hours later Hux stood and flicked off the light. He strode through the lobby, Fed’s half hearted goodnight rolling off him, unanswered. Once in the elevator his finger hovered for a moment before the 6 button. He remembered Mr. 615, the way his long, lean body stretched against the doorframe as his white teeth snared his bottom lip. 

“Get over it, Hux,” he whispered to himself as he depressed the 6. He held himself tight as he walked down the hall of the sixth floor to the suite at the end. His feet didn’t even hesitate as he passed room 615. 

Once in his suite his shoulders slumped. He stripped off the layers of his uniform, taking pains to hang and straighten them in the closet by the bedroom door. He stripped his underwear and tossed it in the hamper of his restroom as he started the shower. He tried to convince himself he’d let Phasma and Fed hold down the fort tomorrow and take his day off. 

The steam and water of the shower did their work on the tightness in his shoulders and along his spine. He had to get rid of the tension skittering under his skin. Taking his cock in his hand he stroked a few times, letting it harden as his thoughts turned to Mr. 615. Phasma was right, he  _ was _ Hux’s type. And it didn’t matter that he was an ass. Who cared about personality when all he needed was to rub one out? He closed his eyes and pulled up the memory of long limbs and pale skin.

Hux’s professionalism stretched only so far. 

His strokes were perfunctory, efficient and he came quickly with a terse grunt. The rest of his shower took a scant handful of minutes, soap, shampoo, rinse, all done seamlessly and dispassionately. He shut off the water, toweled off and slipped into a pair of clean underwear before collapsing into bed. 

Hours later he started up out of bed to the shrill ringing of his room phone. He grabbed for it and winced as his alarm hit the ground.  _ Damn it. _

“Hux here,” he said, then grunted trying to clear the sleep from his voice. 

“I know it’s your day off,” Phasma started and Hux groaned, sitting up.

_ Yeah, right.  _ “What is it now?”

“Mr. 615 has barricaded himself in the office center and yells at anyone who tries to come in,” Phasma explained.  _ Of course he has _ . Hux sighed and began rolling out of bed. “I could try and-”

“No, I’ll deal with it.”

“I thought you’d want to.” 

Hux pretended to ignore the self-satisfied lilt to her voice. “I’ll be down in a bit,” he said, and set the phone down, just shy of slamming it. 

_ Fucking 615. _ Hux steamed as he grabbed his pants and jacket from their hangers.  _ Asshole. _

He spent 3 furious minutes attacking his teeth with a toothbrush and splashing water on his face, heaping every bit of abuse he could muster on the tall, long-haired freak. Finally he straightened, shrugged into his coat and dragged a comb through his hair. He examined himself critically and figured it was the best he could do.

Sure enough, there was a line of disgruntled guests lined up outside the ground floor office center. As he approached the door he heard voices raised. The people standing along the hall visibly bristled at his approach.

“Are you going to do something about that maniac?”

“He’s been in there for hours!”

“I need to email my grand-daughter.”

He waved to quiet them and nodded, but said nothing. There was a large, bald man pounding and shouting through the closed door. Hux stepped to him and placed a hand on the man’s shoulder. “Allow me,” Hux said and the man, purple faced and sweaty, nodded at him, eyes half-bulging out of his skull.

He tried the door but it appeared to have been barricaded. Hux mentally seethed. This was  _ supposed _ to be his day off. “Mr. Solo,” he shouted through the door.

“I told you all to go away.” Mr. 615’s voice resonated through the door. 

“Mr. Solo. I am going to need you to open the door, sir.”

“I have a very important presentation in San Francisco and I need this room now. GO AWAY!” His voice trailed off, intelligible, like he was talking to someone in the room.

“Mr. Solo!” Hux shouted. “This is the manager. Open this door immediately or I WILL call the authorities.”

There was shuffling and movement on the other side of the door and it opened to reveal a very flustered, flushed Mr. Solo. “Oh, hey.” Long fingers rose to click the side of the bluetooth ear piece hooked on his ear, half obscured by his long hair. 

Hux gave himself a moment to imagine strangling his long, lovely neck. “Sir,” he said, “you cannot block off access to this room. Other patrons need to use the services this hotel provides.”

“I have an essential meeting that absolutely needs these sketches.” He gestured vaguely behind him. “I can’t have random idiots wandering in an out hogging the scanner and fax machine.”

“Sir, these guests are just as entitled to our facilities as you. You cannot lock this room.” 

“Look, I’m not even supposed to  _ be _ in this god-forsaken hotel. I was supposed to be on a plane out of here  _ yesterday. _ I am paying for this and I cannot have you impeding my work.” The man moved back towards one of the computers.

Hux mentally throttled him.  _ I hate your fucking entitled, gorgeous face _ . He squared his shoulders and prepared to be eminently reasonable. “I understand, sir. Perhaps you could do you work in another space and we can allow the other patrons to do their business here.” Hux was a master at only seething internally.

“I don’t care, I just need to get this done.”

“If you’ll follow me, sir.” Hux was about to break hotel policy but seeing as he  _ was _ hotel policy, he turned and addressed the crowd. “Please allow Mr. Solo to gather his things-” he glanced over his shoulder at Mr. 615 stacking papers and sketch rolls together “-and then feel free to make use of the office center as necessary.”

There were a few half-hearted cheers and a smattering of applause, which he ignored as he strode from the hall to the lobby, trusting the infuriating guest to keep up. Phasma looked up from where she stood by Fed and gave him a wince in apology. 

“I’m so, so sorry, I know it’s your day off-”

“What are you doing here?”

“Yeah, it’s still coming down hard out there,” she waved to the lobby doors and Hux actually looked outside. It was grey and miserable, snow piling up in drifts as he watched.  _ There’s no way flights are going out today. _

“Um.”

Hux turned to see Mr. 615 standing awkwardly in the middle of the lobby, large, ungainly limbs wrapped around the piles of his work. “If you’ll just wait here, you can place your things behind the counter while I clear out the Manager’s Office for your use, sir,” he said.

“Oh, yeah-” Mr. 615 dumped his stuff in front of Phasma. Hux moved towards the Manager’s Office, noting and pointedly not responding to Phasma’s raised eyebrow. He took five minutes to file away and lock anything sensitive, logged into a guest computer account and moved the stack of books that had accumulated over the top of the printer/scanner before returning to the Reception Desk.

“Please,” Hux said, opening the door to his office wide, “feel free to use this office as needed.”

“Yeah-” Mr. 615 said, eyes lighting up. He scooped up his work and trotted into the office. “Thanks,” he said, looking Hux in the eye before almost completely closing the door, leaving it open just a sliver.

“Weeell-” Phasma started.

“Shut it.” He didn’t have time for her judgement. “It wasn’t worth fighting him.”

Fed looked at the two of them and yawned then gave himself a spin in his chair. Hux rolled his eyes at the pair of them. 

“Look I don’t need this. Are you going to be here all day then?” Hux asked.

Before Phasma could answer him there was a grunt from the office door. 

“If you could- just-,” Mr. 615 stumbled over his words then paused, looking at Hux.

“Yes?”

“I need help getting the scanner to work?”

Hux went and looked at the scanner. He did a quick rundown of the various buttons and the software interface while Mr. Solo watched him. 

“Is this what you need to scan?” Hux asked, gesturing to a sketch that lay next to the printer.

“Yeah,” Mr. Solo said, “schematic designs for a major client.”

“Do you mind?”

Mr. Solo shook his head. Hux picked up the sketch and laid it in the scanner. “I’ll just push this and the scan should come up on your screen, Mr. Solo.”

“You know,” Mr. Solo said, a little smile teasing the corners of his mouth. “You could call me by my name.” Hux became aware of just how close they were standing  and just how tiny the office was. It never seemed this small when Phasma was in here, and she topped the both of them by a foot at least.  _ Freak of a woman _ .

“ _ Mr. Solo _ ,” Hux said pointedly, “it looks like the scan has gone through.” He waved and Mr. Solo bent to look at the computer screen. 

“It looks like part got cut off, run it again?”

Hux shifted the image and re-ran the scan. “So what do you do?” 

“I’m a designer. One of the best. I work for the largest design firm in the country.” Mr. Solo spoke casually, almost absently as he saved the scan and opened his email account. “Yeah this came out well, next.” Hux reached for the next sketch stacked by the scanner and sent it. “I was supposed to be in San Francisco today to prep for this meeting but-”

“Yeah, you mentioned.”

“Good, next,” Mr. Solo commanded. Hux reached for the next sketch and loaded it in. “I’m going to just have to make do. Do you have any editing software? I have my laptop but-”

“Yeah, just go to the start menu.”

Hux watched Mr. Solo’s profile as he began editing the latest scan. He stared at the screen, almost completely absorbed. His long hair tucked behind too-large ears made his face look awkwardly long.  _ Very awkward _ . And yet, Hux could not stop staring at him. The shadows of the room seemed to narrow, casting them both in a surreal, artificial light. 

“Good, next,” Mr. Solo said.

It took about half an hour for all the sketches to be scanned then painstakingly uploaded one by one. 

“I just need to send a few emails but,” Mr. Solo smiled up at him from his desk, “thanks.” 

Hux found himself smiling back. “Yeah.” He coughed then straightened his coat. “I’m going to make my rounds.”

He left the door cracked as he stepped back to the receptionist desk. “Any news?”

Fed stifled a yawn. “Phasma took off to talk to Javier in the kitchen, everything’s mostly quiet.” Hux nodded and grabbed a radio. “Oh, and one of the printers in the Office Center’s thrashed.”

“What!?” Hux paused mid-step.

“Yeah, smashed to bits.”

“I- what?”

Fed shrugged. Hux marched to the Office Center where one of the printers sat in a heap of broken plastic and shredded paper. The patrons looked at him then resumed their work, making do with the second machine, apparently.

_ Mr. Solo. _ Hux scowled and stormed back to his office.

“Did you destroy one of the printers!?!” His kept his voice tightly controlled.

“Yeah,” Mr. Solo said, not bothering to look up from the computer. “It was being shit. Bill me. I’m good for it.” He waved dismissively and Hux saw red. He tried to breathe through it, backing away from the office before he exploded. 

“Sir?” Fed called behind him as he stalked out the front doors. Icy wind slammed into him, chilling his skin. He muttered curses at the sky. The snow needed to stop so that Mr. Fucking Solo could fly back to his stupid Biggest Design Firm in the Country and leave Hux in peace… or Hux would wind up strangling him. 

 

After a while the chill began to settle under Hux’s skin. He gave a terse sigh, cut it short and spun on a heel to walk back into the lobby. As he approached the reception desk Fed perked up and mouthed the word "Lunch?"

Hux nodded and waved a hand. Fed nodded and scurried out from behind the desk towards the hotel restaurant. Hux took up his spot, straightening the desk and looking over the morning's notes. Sure enough, the majority of the staff had called in, blaming the weather.  _ A little snow, just a few damned inches and everyone loses all capacity to function _ . He allowed himself a mental snarl as he noted the schedule from the Reception Desk computer. 

His cellphone buzzed and he grabbed it from his pocket. An email from Javier in the kitchen popped up. His lips compressed into a fine line. Their regular kitchen deliveries have been postponed and the kitchen only has enough stock for the full menu for another day, two at most. He cursed the general incompetence of the world one last time while glaring out the front doors at the snow  _ still _ falling. 

"Global warming my ass," he mumbled as he stepped to the ajar door of his office. His stomach had rumbled painfully as he read the email from Javier, and he figured Mr. Solo had likely not eaten either. 

His hand froze mid knock as he heard Mr. Solo's raised voice, incredibly close, likely just on the other side of the door. "Well I can't control the weather,  _ sir. _ " 

Hux dropped his hand and stood still, listening.

"Well, I sent the sketches in this morning." There was a pause, punctuated by low, noncommittal grunt. "Yes, well, that couldn't be helped-" Hux could hear a low buzz from whoever was shouting on the other end of Mr. Solo's cellphone. "I understand, sir - no sir - yes. Yes of  _ course _ I will be back on the first flight back. No, no-" There was a dull thud like a fist hitting a wall. "No I haven't been  _ fucking _ anyone else. Check the damn news for yourself. It’s a fucking blizzard….yes in Texas." Mr. Solo's voice was low and tight, Hux could hear his rigidly controlled breaths. "Well if you want me to set up an office down here I'm going to have to be coming here a lot."

_ Interesting _ . Hux stepped away from the door, eyes scanning the empty lobby before focusing his attention back to his computer.

A few minutes later his office door opened and a flushed and angry looking Mr. Solo stalked out. His eyes were hard as he looked at Hux. "Thanks for the office," he managed to bite out. Behind him the elevator doors opened to a family of four who made their way over to the Reception Desk. 

Hux nodded to Mr. Solo, ignoring his obvious agitation and turning to address the family instead. Mr. Solo stood there for a moment. Hux flicked his eyes to the man for the barest of moments and noticed a flush across his cheeks. Hux refused to look back at him and politely informed the family that leaving the hotel might not be the best idea and the hotel restaurant  _ was  _ excellent. 

He was, however, intensely  _ aware  _ of the man walking away to the elevator. 

 

The afternoon crawled by. Mid way through it Hux broke away to take a round of the hotel. He did a sweep of the restaurant and bar first. He took stock of Javier’s kitchen, soothed the feathers of several guests and even managed to placate the distractingly attractive Asian couple from suit 626, anxious that they were going to miss the chance to get married in Vegas. He assured them as best he could that the airlines  _ would  _ resume flights as soon as possible and yes, gay marriage  _ is _ legal in the states, Mr. Lee, and yes, Mr. Choi, he understood that layovers were completely ridiculous.  _ Breeders _ , he scoffed as he walked away from them. He would never understand why a perfectly good gay couple would want to run off and settle down with matching rings and a picket fence and rugrats. He shuddered once he was free of the bar. 

His next stop was to the fitness center and  _ fuck _ if Mr. Solo wasn’t getting a nice sweaty lather worked up from running on a treadmill.  He stepped smartly past the glass door, deciding he’d check the fitness center later, or tomorrow. He decided to skip the pool as it was outdoors and turned, instead, to the elevator. 

“Hold the elevator.” 

Hux’s eyes nearly fell out of his head. The man must have seen him and scrambled off the treadmill to catch him. He depressed the door close button and one of Mr. Solo’s maddening limbs jerked between the sliding doors. 

“Ha, made it!” He said as he stepped into the elevator. Hux grimaced and stepped back, leaning against the wall opposite Mr. Solo. “Got to keep in shape you know.”

“Of course, sir.”

“Seems to be the thing,” Mr. Solo rambled. “Especially where I am from. California, you know.” Hux grunted, noncommittally. “Appearance is everything there, though you’d have no trouble fitting right in.”

“I’m sure you don’t either,” Hux found himself saying and looked, in desperation, at the floor indicator lights creeping to three.  _ Finally _ the doors dinged open and he began to excuse himself. 

“Oh are you checking out the broken shower?” 

“Yes, sir,” Hux replied exiting the elevator and finishing the conversation.

“Can I come see it?” Mr. Solo followed him out and the doors to the elevator closed behind him as Hux tried to think of a way to say no. 

Mr. Solo stood just shy of too close, his dark hair damp and falling over the lean angles of his face, his dark eyes were wide and hopeful.  _ He’s taller than me by an inch.  _ “Uh, sure.” He tried to regain his composure as he made his way down the hall, Mr. Solo falling in next to him. “Every room does have an extensive cable package, sir, as well as pay-per-view.”

“Yeah,” Mr. Solo said, “I never really cared much for day-time television. Reminds me of being stuck home from sick.”

“Were you a sick kid?”

“Oh, no, just that’s what you do when you can’t go to school. Sesame street then soaps then game shows, ya know. Not my thing.” 

Hux smiled. “Yeah, I guess so.” He blinked. They’d been standing in front of the room, unmoving. “Here, let me-” He patted at his pocket and his heart thudded as he realized he’d left his master key at the reception desk. 

“You ok?”

“I seem to have left my key downstairs. I’ll have to go retrieve it.” He inclined his head. “I am sure you’d like to take a shower.”  _ Why did I mention that? _ “I’ll take the stairs down, sir. Have a nice afternoon.”

“Uh, yeah, I will. You too.” Mr. Solo stood in the hall, eyes burning into Hux as he made his way to the stairwell. 

 

Hux passed the rest of his rounds uneventfully and, blessedly, alone. Once done, he spent the rest of the afternoon playing mind-numbing rounds of minesweeper and ignoring Phasma’s barbs about Mr. 615.

In the privacy of his own mind Hux allowed himself to ponder why it was that the man was so attractive. He was long, gangly, awkward. His face was proportioned oddly and his ears and nose were too big and yet - and yet Hux couldn’t stop the way his blood seemed to rush whenever he was around. 

Nevermind the fact that he was an asshole. Hux paused in sweeping for mines to google printer prices. A destructive asshole at that.  _ Still _ . Hux curved his lips in a slow smile. He remembered the man’s bumbling attempts at flirting. It was hard to dislike someone who had the good taste to find him attractive. 

Hux had no problem admitting to his attractiveness. His skin was flawless, he kept himself fit and slim. His hair and eyes were his most unique features. He looked good. It was a simple fact. And the knowledge that Mr. Solo had apparently fallen for those looks, he couldn’t be blamed, honestly. Hux sneered and tapped his fingers on the mouse in pleasure. 

He closed his eyes and recalled the smooth planes of Mr. Solo’s chest as they disappeared behind the folds of a bathrobe. He grunted as he remembered the proposition but, well, in the privacy of his own mind he could indulge the fantasy that he’d accepted the wholly inappropriate suggestion from a paying guest.  _ What would it be like to put the infuriating man down on his knees? _

Shortly after 4 he managed to slip out of his office and make it back to the sixth floor. A fap and nap sounded like a perfect way to wrap up the day.

 

_ Boredom. Taupe walls, terrible carpet, fake plants and boredom. That was Ben’s whole day. Once he’d finished sending out the drawings for the presentation there had been little to do but wander the hotel in hopes of running into the manager. He’d been successful with his little excursion to the gym but that hadn’t ended quite as he’d liked. A shower and shave later he’d re-emerged from his room to aimlessly wander the hotel in hopes of bumping into him again. When that hadn’t worked he’d gone back to his room and rubbed one out.  _

_ That had taken 5 minutes.  _

_ He wandered the hotel some more but had absolutely no luck. He cursed out some kids making a mess in the 3rd floor ice room then figured he’d go hover around the lobby. He decided to take the stairs because why-the-hell not. Manager Hux seemed to prefer the stairs. He had to have come by those thighs some way.  _

_ Opening the stairwell door on the ground floor he froze, two voices filtering back to him. _

 

Hux jerked out of bed and fumbled for the clock. It was 8:15 pm and someone was knocking on his door. He stumbled in the dark to peer through his peephole. Mr. Solo was standing, being his patented awkward self in the hall just outside his door.  _ How the hell- _

He flung open the door. “What are  _ you _ doing here?”

“Uh, hi.” A smile pulled at the man’s lips and his teeth gnawed on his lower lip for a half second. “Um- so I overheard a couple of the guys at the front desk talking about how you hadn’t put in your food order when I was on my way to get dinner and I thought- you’d like to eat? Dinner? With me?”

Hux’s mind reeled. There was a guest standing in front of his door offering him dinner. 

“I thought since you were helpful earlier - I could- maybe treat you to dinner in the hotel restaurant. I know that’s lame but there’s not really anywhere else-”

“How did you know I was here?”

“Um, I overheard some of the staff-”

“Who!?”

“A maid and the guy who worked on the shower? In my other room?” The blood was slowly flushing Mr. Solo’s face. 

“Why are you asking me to dinner?” He asked mostly to have something to say as his mind wrapped itself around what was happening. Hux was going to fire them, both of them.  _ Fucking incompetents!  _ But he really couldn’t fire them. Mrs. Kwon was  _ Asian _ . She was the best maid in the whole building; never missed a day of work. She’d even come in during a blizzard (and run her mouth, damn her). And Manuel, for all the he was a damn lazy Mexican could fix anything when he actually  _ did _ things. Replacing them would require hiring 3 or 4 more people at least and the comfortable cushion he was sitting on would-

“I, I - I think you are  _ interesting? _ And I appreciate your help earlier and maybe we could get to know each other? A little? I’m going to be coming down here a lot with work and things and maybe getting to know some people might make it a little easier on things and, well, you’re really kind of cute and I never do this sort of thing but you did help me and it would only be polite to, you know-”

Hux blinked, calculations receding to a low buzz as he realized Mr. Solo was still there, flushed bright red and still smiling. His eyes glinted and there was a sweetness to the crinkle at their edges. 

“Sir, unfortunately your request is incredibly -” Hux broke off as Mr. Solo bit his lower lip and Hux’s mind decided to replay, again, the sight of chest hidden in a robe.  _ Fuck. _ He’d stopped talking and was staring. He blamed the sleep haze. “-Inappropriate. The hotel has a strict policy against relations-”  _ relations?!  _ “-with guests.” A voice in the back of his mind nattered inanely that he’d written those policies. “So, I’m sorry I’m going to have to respectfully decline.” 

Hux felt momentarily off balance with a sense of vertigo as his body seemed to be acting without his say. His eyes were flirting and there was a smile on his lips.  _ Stop it! _ He tried to stand and cursed that Mr. Solo’s inch on him actually made him feel a bit small. 

“Oh, oh yeah, sorry, of course,” Mr. Solo stammered and half bowed, stepping back. “Yes, well, um-” He dragged long fingers through his luxurious mane of dark hair and laughed. “Too bad we didn’t meet under different circumstances.”

“Indeed.” Hux said and stood, watching the man back down the hall a few more steps before turning and striding confidently back to his room. He was still watching when the man opened his door and Mr. Solo shot him a final glance over a shoulder. 

Hux shut his own door and slumped against it, fisting his eyes and groaning.  _ I need more sleep _ , he thought, but it was a lie. He could blame the adorableness of the man’s insipid crush but really, Hux had always had a type. Adoring puppy dog. He could practically hear Phasma laughing at him all the way from the lobby.

“Damn it,” he said to himself. 

 

Hux shouldn’t have taken that nap. He lay in his bed staring at the ceiling. There was nothing but the dull roar of the air conditioner and his thoughts. He replayed the conversation in the hall again and again. He rolled onto his stomach and it replayed again from the beginning. 

His mind fixated on that lip bite. He shifted to pound a fist into the pillow and realized he was hard, his cock pressing into the bedding.  _ You  _ wrote _ those policies,  _ his mind reminded him,  _ you wrote them and they’re the only thing keeping you from walking down the hall and sucking that bottom lip between your teeth. _

He sat up and pressed his face to his palms. He was going to do it. He knew he was going to do it. He searched for the will to stop himself and found it non-existent. He reached for the phone on the nightstand and punched in the number to Room 615.

“Hello.”

Hux gave himself a moment to savor the resonant tone of the man’s voice. 

“If you want to fuck, be at my door in two minutes.” The other end of the line went dead before Hux could finish the last word. He smiled and stood. He stripped off his wife-beater and stretched, the blood beginning to rush under his skin and sending a warm flush through him. He stroked a hand down his stomach, through a soft trail of hair to press against the pull of blood in his cock. He was already getting hard.

His heart stuttered as a knock sounded against the door, firm and rapid. He stalked to the door and hauled it open. 

“Hey so-” 

Hux didn’t let him finish. He pulled Mr. Solo back into the room, pushing him up to the wall by the door and claiming his mouth. He pressed his tongue in past lips and hummed as they parted easily for him. Mr. Solo tasted of toothpaste and his skin was warm.

“What should I call you?” Hux growled between kisses. He dropped to suck kisses into the man’s neck. It was so long, Hux reveled in it. He dragged a wet tongue up its side and nibbled his way back down to the collar. The man was sweet. 

“Call-” Mr. Solo gasped, “Call me?”

Hux pulled back to look into the man’s eyes in the half light from the stove. “Well I could call you Mr. Solo when I put you down on your knees, we can play that way. Or -”

“B- Ben,” he stuttered as Hux trailed hands up and down the long lines of his torso. 

“Alright,  _ Ben, _ ” Hux said, sliding his hands up to thread through Ben’s hair. “How do you want to play this?”

“However you want,” Ben said. There was a flush spreading across Ben’s cheeks and Hux bit that damned lower lip between his teeth again. 

Hux moved his hands to press against Ben’s cheeks, holding his head still. Ben’s eyes widened and Hux sucked the lip that had been terrorizing him all night in between his teeth. He felt the breath gasp into Ben’s lungs and Hux pressed them together, giving a gentle roll of his hips, letting Ben feel his erection. He dropped his hands down to the small of Ben’s back, pressing him forward into the rolling thrusts of Hux’s hips.

“What I want, Ben, is for you to get down on your knees so I can fuck this mouth.” He bit Ben again before shoving his tongue into Ben’s mouth. Ben was plaint under him, except for the erection he felt pressing against his own. Hux breathed out a low groan and thrust a few more times. 

He grabbed at the hem of Ben’s t-shirt and yanked it up, using it to pin long gangly arms to the wall above their heads. He lowered his mouth to suck on the dark nipple centered on the smooth plane of his left peck. He broke off and lapped at the other. They tasted better than his shower imaginings. There was a savor to Ben’s skin that was intoxicating. Ben’s cock tented the thin cotton pajamas he wore and Hux reached a hand for it, encircling it through fabric. It was long and slender.

Hux stood and made good on his word, placing hands on both Ben’s shoulders and pushing him down to the ground. He knelt, gracefully, too long limbs folding tight so Hux could lean over him, hand braced on the wall and boxer-brief covered cock straining for Ben’s full mouth.

Dark eyes gazed up at him as he moved forward, lips and tongue pressing along Hux’s shaft through the fabric. “Yes, that, more,” Hux groaned. He stared at the man kneeling at his feet, searing the image into his memory: dark hair, ivory skin, and blood red, raw lips, with the hard length of his cock straining for release against a lean cheek.

Hux, impatient, dropped one hand to his underwear and tugged at the elastic, freeing his cock with an obscene bounce, to slap against Ben’s nose. He grasped the shaft by its base, hand guiding his head to slide over Ben’s parted lips. The hot breath washed over Hux’s head, already slick with precum. He wanted to press between those lips, slide over the long, slender tongue hovering just over his flesh, and fuck down Ben’s throat. But Hux held back, savoring the tension thrumming under his skin, the need to possess and dominate warring with the need to savor the unique beauty of this strange man at his feet. 

He dipped his head into Ben’s mouth and reveled in the swirl of a talented tongue before pulling back to drag himself up the elegant line of cheekbone and down along jaw. 

“I’m going to fuck your ridiculous mouth,” Hux promised. “And then I’m going to take you to my bed, and you’re going to fuck me into that mattress.” He let go of his cock to stroke a hand through dark hair. The man had a truly glorious mane, thick and soft as silk. 

“Ok,” Ben said. Hux grinned and tightened his grip, making it painful. A test. Ben groaned and arched into the pain. Hux’s grin deepened as he finally gave in, moving his hips to press his cock back against Ben’s mouth. “If you can’t breathe pinch my hip,” Hux commanded as he shoved himself roughly into Ben’s waiting mouth. 

Hux closed his eyes tight and huffed out a rough breath.  _ Fuck, his mouth is perfection. _ He held himself, halfway to the constricting, seductive promise of Ben’s throat. His skin was a raging fire and his entire being seemed to focus on the wet, throbbing inches pressing into Ben. His tongue began to undulate, flicking against the underside of Hux’s cock. 

Hux opened his eyes to look down into black, black eyes, looking back up at him. Slow, painfully slow, Hux followed the beckoning rolls of Ben’s tongue, sliding back to bury himself in Ben’s throat. Tears beaded at the corner of Ben’s eyes and Hux’s grip on his hair tightened.

“Too much?” Hux asked.  _ God I hope not, _ Hux whined mentally. Ben’s throat was a sinful sight of heaven. Ben shook his head as far as he could and relief coiled open in Hux’s chest. “Good.” 

He pulled back watching as the dark, engorged girth of his cock slid passed ruined lips. Dark hollows pooled in Ben’s cheeks and suction devoured Hux as a tongue flicked just under the sensitive rim at the base of his head. He cried out, a high pitched whine pouring forth as he thrust himself back in.

He pounded into Ben’s mouth, relentless, the tatters of his self-restraint fraying with every thrust, destroyed by every flick of Ben’s tongue. He tipped forward, pressing his forehead to the wall, not caring that it contorted Ben’s body uncomfortably. There was no pinch on his hip and nothing mattered but the pleasure building under his skin. 

He dropped both hands to grip at Ben’s obnoxious ears and thrust, faster and faster, burying himself in Ben’s wet, tight mouth.  _ Fuck _ . He didn’t want to finish this way. He scrambled to get a hold of himself. He reached a hand to push back against the wall and pulled out, holding himself still, cock a live wire, exposed to open air as he let Ben catch his breath. 

He gripped himself, hard, and as Ben gaped he stroked, hand a blur as he arched towards completion. He couldn’t focus anymore, his knees went weak as his body convulsed, come shooting from his cock to streak over Ben’s face. He stroked and stroked until it hurt and, spent, he groaned.

He gripped his cock and dragged his head through the mess staining Ben’s face and his blood inflamed as if it was the hottest thing he’d ever done in his life. 

He stumbled back to grab a towel from the oven and tossed it to Ben, standing, awed, in Hux’s kitchen. He turned on the hot water and soaked a second towel in the sink, wringing it out before returning to drag it over Ben’s less-ruined face. Ben took the towel from him using both to clean himself up and Hux turned his attention to Ben’s cock, which had drooped a bit from lack of attention. 

He slipped his hand into Ben’s pajamas and stroked it back to full hardness and gripped it tight, pulling the man back to his bedroom. 

He sat on the edge of the bed and grabbed Ben by the hips. He slid fingers up to the band of his pants and lowered them slightly to latch onto the jut of Ben’s hipbone. He sucked and dragged his tongue over the cut of his lower abdominals as he pushed the pants down. Ben gasped when he pressed his lips over the shaft of the cock jutting towards him, it  _ was  _ long and slender, uncut. 

Hux wrapped his hand over the shaft and pulled down, fully exposing Ben’s head. He devoured Ben’s cock, swirling and laving his tongue over it and he felt Ben’s hands move to his head. He let them tangle in his hair but he kept a hand on Ben’s hips, controlling the pace as he sucked the man down. 

It had been too long and his gag reflex kicked in too soon.  _ Pity.  _

He pulled off and crawled back onto the bed, reaching a hand for the side table where he kept his lube. He left it open as he opened the cap and drizzled some over his fingers. “There’s condoms in there too,” he said. He spread his legs as Ben watched. 

Hux began to tease himself open and Ben moved, grabbing a condom from the drawer and laying it on the table before crawling over Hux. He grabbed Hux’s hand and pinned it to the bed. He kneeled and spread Hux’s legs wider before proffering his fingers. Hux smiled and lubed them up. They were long, so long. Hux wanted them. 

Ben kept his one hand to keep Hux’s pinned to the bed and dropped the other between his legs. He slid one finger slowly through the tight entrance of Hux’s ass. Hux groaned and arched down into it. The stretch was almost painful but delicious all the same. His head tipped back, exposing his neck and Ben leaned over him to suckle and nip at his skin. 

”You’re so pale,” Ben whispered. 

“Yes captain obvious,” Hux snarked and rolled his hips for more friction. Ben laughed and resumed littering Hux’s neck with kisses. 

“Stroke me,” Ben said and Hux took his free hand and stroked Ben. He kept his grip loose, letting Ben’s foreskin do most of the work. 

Pain spiked in him as Ben pressed a second finger over his entrance. He cried out and tried to stop his body from flinching lest Ben stop. Ben kissed him and pressed the second finger in, drinking in his cries. The stretch was unbelievable.  _ Has it been so long? _ Hux wondered. The thought was as fleeting as the pain.

Hux’s grip tightened on Ben’s shaft as the fingers in him curled and found his prostate. Explosions ricocheted through his skin and up his soft cock to tingle at his head. He rocked his hips into the scissoring fingers slowly opening him. 

“Oh, fuck, yes just like that,” Hux gasped. They writhed together on the bed, Ben patient and methodical as he worked Hux open. Hux wanted to shout to hurry it along but gave himself over to the simmering pleasure of the man’s fingers and occasional kisses. Several times Hux grabbed for the lube to drizzle more over Ben’s hands. He kept a steady stroke of Ben’s cock, keeping him hard the whole time, Hux was truly impressed with his stamina and restraint.

“Condom.” Ben’s voice was low and rough. Hux scrambled for the packet on the table and ripped it open with his teeth. He rolled it over Ben’s cock, pinching the tip before letting go. Ben gripped his thighs and pulled Hux up, expectantly. Hux grabbed a spare pillow and stuffed it under his hips before wrapping his legs around Ben’s slender waist. Ben held himself over Hux, muscles in his arms bulging on either side of Hux’s head. 

“Guide,” Ben commanded and Hux grabbed Ben’s cock again and gripped the edge of the bed with his free hand. He guided Ben in and gasped at the intrusion. 

“Fuck, too big,” he groaned. Ben kissed him again and stilled. He waited for Hux to relax before smoothly sliding all the way in. The pressure was intense and there was a taut spike of pleasure as Ben slid against his prostate. Their eyes met and Hux brought a hand up to tangle in Ben’s hair, pulling his head down so their foreheads touched. “Fuck,” Hux commanded, and Ben did. 

He slid out and rammed back in, giving full, slow thrusts that tormented as much as the pleased, nerves tortured just shy of overstimulation. “Faster,” Hux said and he tightened his legs around Ben, forcing him into shallower thrusts. Ben’s hips snapped, pace ever increasing. Hux wrapped his hands over the edge of the headboard and arched up, slacking his thighs and letting Ben slam into him. 

Large fingers wrapped over his and Ben supported himself on the headboard, leveraging himself to slam into Hux’s prostate again and again. Hux’s cock slapped against his stomach, only half hard and unlikely to become more but the pleasure was overwhelming in its intensity. A soft cry escaped his lips and Ben’s thrusts became erratic, his breathing ragged. 

“Fuck, moan again,” Ben groaned and his hips stuttered. Hux cried out again as Ben slammed into his prostate then stilled, cock pulsing inside him. 


	2. Chapter 2

They lay in bed, a sweat-damp tangle of limbs and ragged breath.

“So that happened,” Hux said to the ceiling as he rolled back from the foot of the bed where the towels had landed earlier. He snatched one then shifted around to hook his foot into the handle of his bedside table. “Hand me the pack in there,” he commanded using a towel to clean himself up.

Ben lifted his head from the pillow, hair plastered in wet streaks to his face where it wasn’t sticking straight up. “Huh?”

“Elegant,” Hux sneered, sitting to rummage through the drawer for his cigarettes. He flipped open the pack and fished one out. He proffered the pack to Ben. “Want one?”

“Aren’t these non-smoking rooms?”

“Mine isn’t.”

“How is it you live in your own hotel?”

“Long story - do you want one of these or not?” Hux waved the pack again but Ben shook his head. Hux shrugged and upended the pack to get the lighter out. “Suit yourself.” He lit up and took a long drag, rolling down to his back.

“So I should go,” Ben said but made no move to get up. He seemed to find the wallpaper incredibly fascinating.  

Hux blew a puff up to the ceiling and hooked an arm up behind his head. “As you like.” He took another drag, letting it coat and soothe his nerves. _I fucked a guest._ He turned his eyes to Ben, still flushed and sprawled across half of the bed, cock laying damp and flaccid against his thigh. _Fucked him hard._ Hux snorted and sat back up.

“I’m going to shower,” he said. He stubbed the cigarette out in the ashtray on the side table before he stood. He indulged in a stretch, rolling his shoulders and pulling his muscles taut. He could feel Ben’s eyes on him and he held the stretch longer than strictly necessary.

 _God that fuck felt good. It’s been too long._ He couldn’t even remember how long. _Workaholic_.

He turned to the ensuite but paused before opening the door. “You’re welcome to join,” he said, addressing but not looking at Ben. He didn’t close the door all the way behind him when he disappeared into the restroom.

He set the water to just shy of too hot and let the bathroom slowly steam around him before stepping into the stream. He’d just started lathering his hair when a gust of chilled air brought a smile to his lips. _Of course Ben isn’t going to leave._ He heard Ben taking his post orgasm piss then watched his shadow waver on the other side of the shower curtain. _This crush is adorable._ It had been so long since he’d had an admirer.

“Can I-”

Hux twitched back the edge of the curtain. Ben stepped into the shower and Hux moved to make room.

“So, do you do this often?” Ben asked, eyes meeting Hux’s through the water for an instant before sliding away. Hux just stared at him, eyes flat. “I mean I’m sure plenty of guys come through here - girls too if that’s what you’re into.”

“I don’t make a habit of fucking guests.” Hux’s voice was ice.

“No- no, of course not. Sorry.”

They were both to conditioner before Ben spoke again. “That was good though right?”

Hux cracked an eye open to peek at Ben’s face. His dark eyes were wide, lashes dewed with water and a shy smile spreading his lips. Hux couldn’t help himself. He laughed and nodded, ducking his hair in the water to rinse. “Yes, Yes it was good.” He rubbed at his eyes so he could open and roll them. “Freak,” he said.

The light in Ben’s eyes died and he turned to take a turn under the water. “Yeah I guess,” he snapped, running long fingers through his hair. He stepped out of the water and jerked his head, shaking drops of water free before opening the curtain, leaving before Hux could try to speak.

 _Struck a nerve,_ Hux noted.

He took his time finishing, emerging from the restroom in a wall of steam, towel slung around his hips. Ben was frantically scrambling around the room, scooping up clothes and cursing. His phone was buzzing loudly across the nightstand.

“Everything ok?” Hux asked.

“No, does it fucking look ok?” Ben shoved his legs into his pants and succeeded in getting them caught and toppling over onto the bed. “Shit,” he muttered, flicking his feet and arching his back to slide them on the rest of the way. His phone kept buzzing. “Alright,” he sighed and reached for the phone.

Hux dressed and kept one eye on Ben, who was apparently reading through a distressing series of texts. He had begun typing a response when the phone erupted in a new round of buzzing. Ben brought the phone to his ear.

“John, yes, I sent the files earlier today.” There was a pause and the tinny crackle of yelling through the phone. Hux stood, in soft jeans and a tshirt, arms crossed, shoulder on the doorframe of the restroom, and frankly watched Ben. He stood to pace the room, wet, black hair shrouded and half hid his face. He looked down at his feet as he walked. “Sir, believe me, I understand how important the account is. I - yes I’ll get something together and be sure it is ready for you first thing in the morning.” He paused, “no-,” and was cut off. A flush spread across his cheeks. “No.” He  looked up at Hux. “I was taking a shower,” he said. His voice was quiet. He turned his back to Hux.“Yes, I’ll notify you as soon as everything has been put together.”

Ben paused in his pacing to hand up the phone and turned in one smooth move. “Fucking fuck!” His fist connected with the wall, rattling a lamp.

“Watch that,” Hux snapped.

“Sorry.” Ben actually did look sorry. Very sorry. He grabbed and pulled on his shirt before turning back to his phone. It rang for a moment before Ben replaced it on his ear.

“Mitaka,” Ben shouted through the line. “Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing turn around and get your ass back to the office. The presentation is fucked. Call me when you’re back.” Ben didn’t wait for a response before hanging up.

“Can I -” Ben’s lips compressed to a line. “Can I borrow your office again?”

 

Hux should have said no but, instead, found himself at midnight, locked in the cramped space of his office with Ben as the man fretted and agonized over a roll of drawings. He sat straddling a spare chair while Ben commandeered his desk, his stuff swept to the side to make room for more things that Hux could name. Rolls of paper, pens, plastic triangles an assortment of rulers, and other items Hux assumed were essential for drawing littered his desk. He watched as Ben sketched.

“Wait, I thought you just had to scan what you sent earlier?”

“John decided he didn’t like those drawings.”

“John?”

“My boss.”

“Wait, so you’re making new drawings?” Hux asked, watching as Ben sketched out what looked like a building surrounded by trees. Ben just hummed in response.

“At midnight? For a presentation? When?”

“At nine tomorrow in San Francisco.” Ben turned to rummage through his portfolio, pulling out a pack of prismacolors. He set to coloring the trees.

“And you had it all done earlier today?”

Ben switched to a red and began highlighting the building. “Yeah but John didn’t like it.”

“You said that. So, what, you’re doing it over?”

“Not all of it.”

Talking to the man was like pulling teeth. Hux wanted to throttle him. _You should just leave him to it and go to bed._ He tried to convince himself that ‘security concerns’ kept him in his office but, really, he just didn’t want to leave. Hux sighed and let his body fall into a slouch.

Ben’s eyes flitted to him briefly then back to his work. “The client is really important and it will be a big deal if we get this job. It has to be perfect.” He spoke as he drew.

“Your boss is kind of a dick.”

“He’s passionate.”

“Well he’s passionately a dick.” He sneered. “I should have brought my cigarettes.”

“Smoking is bad for you.”

Hux glared at him. “Thanks for that.” He watched Ben work for a bit. “So this is a big client but not the same as the big client that brought you here?”

“No, different account. John wants to open an office in the Southwest. So I’ll be coming around a lot, getting work.”

“And still doing midnight work for whatever in San Francisco.”

Ben sat back to admire the drawing. Hux didn’t give a shit about art but, it seemed... interesting enough. He rolled his eyes. _Whatever_ \- _wait_. Hux reached for the discarded drawings that had been sent out that morning. He held one up beside Ben’s new piece. His brow furrowed. “There’s like no difference between these two!”

“Yes there is. The design concept is completely different.” Hux grabbed for the paper in Ben’s hands but Ben yanked it out of reach.

“Your boss pulled you out of _my_ bed to come and make an almost exact replica of shit you sent him this morning and that’s just … what… business as usual?”

“Look,” Ben said, turning to face him, “this is just the way it is. John is passionate about what he does and is one of the best and most respected designers in the country. Sleepless nights is how it goes. I’m going to make partner soon. And this is just how - it - goes.”

“Your dictator of a boss is an asshole.” Hux sneered and pushed away from the back of the chair. He stood and spoke to the air above Ben’s head. “Do whatever you have to, the door locks on it’s own. I’m going to bed.”

It probably was a security risk but Hux was damned if he cared. He stalked across the lobby and attempted to brutalize the elevator call button. When he finally made it back to his bed, still smelling of Ben and sex, he tried to calm his racing heart. He was outraged and that was completely out of character.

There was no reason for him to be so upset and yet he was. He didn’t sleep the rest of the night.

 

 _Ben scowled as he hunched over the computer. How_ dare _Hux insult John. The asshole didn’t know what the hell he was talking about._

 _The anxiety paralyzing his heart refused to ease. These drawings were_ important _. This presentation was_ crucial. _What did a stupid hotel manager know about anything? His breath came in short, sharp bursts. He had to get this done. Had to. John was depending on him. The thought of John’s anger sent a chill down his spine._

_He sat back and tried to take in a deep breath. He flexed his hand, trying to shake out the nervous tremor. He felt like he was going to throw up but pushed it down, far down, and returned to his work._

 

Hux slept in the next morning. Phasma called him at some point and he managed to pick up the phone and inform her that she needed to fuck off before rolling over and going back to sleep, making a pointed effort to shove thoughts of _Ben_ Solo from his mind.

He rolled out of bed close to 10 and dressed casually for his weekly brunch with the only family member he still countenanced. He stopped at the front desk on his way out and Phasma took pains to inform him that Mr. 615 had asked after him while checking out. Hux’s reply was an even stare as he pushed her away from the reception desk computer so he could look it over.

“So, you have a good night?” Her voice indicated that she already knew the answer to that question. Hux tightened his jaw. “He did seem loath to leave. He didn’t seem to have slept a wink.”

“You do realize I am your superior.” Hux groaned inwardly. Pulling rank was evidence of weakness, he knew it and he knew Phasma would catch it.

“Of course, _sir_ .” He could _hear_ the barely suppressed laughter in her voice.

“I’m going to brunch.” He reached in his office for his coat and scarf.

“Twenty bucks says he comes back,” she said. Hux didn’t deign to respond, instead gifting her with the sight of his back as he strode from the hotel.

 

 _Penne_ was an upscale Italian bistro tucked into Uptown. Hux felt a small twinge of affection for the place of his first job. Even at 16 he’d been stubborn, refusing a job within the family holdings and striking out to get a job on his own. He’d been steamed to discover _Penne_ was owned by a subsidiary company lead by a board on which sat one of his uncles. Still, neither he nor the owner had known that at the time so he could be proud in his first self-earned position. As such, it had been the first place that had come to mind when his Grandfather gave him the hotel with the only stipulation being weekly check-ins. Their brunch menu was the best in the city.

The hostess smiled with familiarity and led him to a table, removing the “Reserved” sign from its top and disappearing, only to return moments later with two glasses, their typical drink orders. Francisco, the manager followed in her wake, and they filled the time gossipping about Uptown drama. Well Francisco talked, Hux sipped his drink and nodded at the appropriate moments.

Grandpa Tarkin eventually saved Hux from actual engagement with Francisco. The man disappeared to put in their usual brunch order while Hux attended his grandfather. The man looked ancient but still sharp. His frame was unbent and face sternly elegant despite hovering around 90.

They passed the majority of the meal in staid silence. The ability to be silent, undisturbed by the sound of their own thoughts, was one of their points of mutual understanding.

The plates were being cleared when Hux slid the plain manila folder he’d brought with him towards his grandfather. He opened it without preamble and Hux reclined, sitting relaxed as he waited.

“Hm, well it looks like you’re doing well.”

Hux regarded his grandfather evenly. They were doing more than well. Hux moved to point that out but was cut off.

“Yes, very well.” Tarkin snapped the folder shut and signaled for the check. Hux settled back and shrugged. “You’re as sharp as I always thought you’d be,” Tarkin continued. “You’ve managed to maximize the efficiency of a prime location and the numbers reflect it. Keep it up and we may be able to execute my plan earlier than expected.”

“Plan?” Hux had never heard of any plan.

“Don’t worry about that just yet, just keep doing what you’re doing.” He stood and began wrapping himself in layers. “Oh,” he leaned over Hux, signing the check for the meal, “and tell whatever boy you’re fucking now to tone it down, you aren’t 20 anymore.”

Hux froze and a hand went to his neck, blood rushing to his face and burning his ears. _Damn it, Ben_. Tarkin laughed. “Might want to stick to turtlenecks this week.” He chuckled as he strode out of the restaurant.

Hux grabbed for his jacket and stalked out shortly after. With any luck he’d never see the damned man again so he’d never have to relay Grandfather’s message.

  
It had been 3 weeks. Almost a month. Hux didn’t think about Ben every day anymore. And then a name practically glowed on the screen displaying his upcoming reservation list.

Ben Solo

An ache spread in Hux’s jaw as he ground his teeth together. He had said, in Hux’s own office, that he’d be coming for business. Hux just assumed he’d stay at the Hilton off the Tollway or downtown at one of the hip boutique places - Hotel Tazza or something pretentious like that. His place typically took in last minute bookings for travelers whose plans had changed and families that wanted to be close to the airport while on vacation. They did get some long term guests, divorcees more often than not, the occasional business client but not-

Hux felt a vague disquiet, as if he was somehow insulting his own hotel. _Of course not,_ he scoffed mentally, _the ritzy business set just usually don’t stay here._ That thought didn’t settle well and Hux pushed away from his desk to make his morning sweep of the hotel.

He tried not to think about his night with Ben as he walked. The thoughts intruded anyway. His mind retraced the lines of Ben’s body as he’d arched in pleasure. _The best sex in years._ To be honest, it was the _only_ sex he’d had in years. Still.

He shifted and adjusted the fall of his pants, giving himself a moment for the half-erection he’d started to subside. A small voice in the back of his mind nattered about getting some again. He squelched it and went to relieve Phasma at the front desk.

Hux made sure to be down in the kitchen and service rooms all Wednesday morning. Checking the kitchen’s books and expenses provided a good cover for not being around to see Ben arrive.

 _God, the sex wasn’t_ that _good,_ he chastised himself as he had to start down the same line of numbers for the third time. He hadn’t thought of the man _that much_ in the weeks since he’d been here and in the days since he’d seen the reservation list he couldn’t keep their night out of his mind.

“The eagle has landed, repeat,” Phasma’s voice crackled in the radio at his hip, “the eagle has landed.” _Damn the woman. And damn my fucking cock._ He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. _I’m too old for this shit, really am I sixteen? He wasn’t_ that _fucking good!_ His mind decided to recall the sound Ben made as he came, buried deep inside Hux. Hux panted out a ragged breath and pressed the heels of his palms against his eyes. _He’s the one with the crush, get a hold of yourself._

The rest of the day dragged on for a week. Arguing with guests and dealing with the shower in 322, again. There would probably be nothing for it, he decided as he stripped in the privacy of his apartment, he’d have to call a plumber. He winced at the thought of his bottom line.

He shuffled to his fridge and pulled out a Smartwater, guzzling nearly two-thirds before he froze. There was a second knock at his door and suddenly he couldn’t hear for the blood rushing in his ears. Phasma always called first and she was probably about to head out, leaving Fed at the front desk and Fed would call as well. There was only one person who’d actually knock at his door unannounced.

He turned and opened the door, not bothering to check the peephole and not caring that he was shirtless with his pants half undone. Ben was standing there, with his obscenely long hands and ridiculously beautiful hair and his face was already flushed and Hux reached for him, pulling him in and slamming the door.

“Uh, hi,” Ben said, stumbling a bit over his own feet. Hux responded by ripping the white t-shirt off of him and pushing him to the bedroom. Ben laughed. “Well that answers that question. So-”

Hux tripped him into the bed and reached for an obscenely long leg. “Talk later, fuck now.”

“Ok.”

Hux felt almost desperate as he stripped off the rest of Ben’s clothes and straddled his hips, giving him another kiss. He rolled off to open up the drawer to his bedside table and let Ben rummage for the necessities while he yanked off the rest of his clothes. He grabbed Ben again and pushed him down to the bed, hovering over him, littering his neck with kisses and rubbing his hardening shaft over Ben’s long thigh.

Fingers encircled him and he returned the favor. He stroked, frantic, and was pleased when Ben matched his pace. He couldn’t break off kissing to give any commands, Ben tasted too good. There was a pause then a cool drizzle over his cock and his hand. He eased his grip and rotated his palm over Ben’s cock, coating it with lube before resuming stroking in earnest.

Ben moved to grip him again and Hux swatted him away. He wrapped them both with one hand and a shudder ran through him at the feel of Ben’s cock throbbing against his. He could feel the other man’s heartbeat, a rapid staccato against the pulsing of his own shaft.

He thrust into his hand, sliding himself against Ben’s cock. Ben moaned and gasped his name and the sound of his voice was erotic, intoxicating. He held himself still and let his hand fly over their cocks. Ben arched up into him and nails dug into the flesh of his bicep as Ben cried out, come shooting in a stream over his long torso. Their eyes locked onto one another, a befuddled daze clouding Ben’s dark gaze. “Come,” he whined and Hux’s body froze and his hand stuttered in its stroking.

He jerked and came, streaking Ben’s ruined stomach and chest. He leaned down to kiss Ben again before his arm gave out and he collapsed.

“So I was going to ask if what happened last time was ok. But I guess this answers that,” Ben said after they caught their breath.

“Guess it does.” Hux began rummaging for his smokes while Ben rooted around the foot of the bed for a sock to clean them with.

“I was hoping. It’s why I booked this place when my boss sent me back here.”

“The asshole dictator?” Hux asked as he lit up.

“He isn’t.”

“You do realize that Christmas is in like 4 days, and you’re here for the next three.”

“Work is still going on - I mean you’re going to be here working too.”

“Yeah, just seems a dick thing to do.” Hux explained with a shrug. He couldn’t figure out why he hated Ben’s boss so, but he did. “The Supreme Leader going to make you work Christmas Eve too?”

“Don’t call him that.” Ben snapped. They lay in silence while Hux finished his cigarette. Ben mopped up the mess on his stomach then lay, head close to Hux’s feet, his own feet propped up on the pillow beside Hux’s head.

"Is this going to be a regular thing, then. You booking here then us fucking?" Hux asked, putting out the cigarette in the ashtray on his night stand.

"I’m not sure?” Ben spoke to the ceiling, his hair falling in a cascade over the edge of the bed. “We just landed a project for what will be a big account. And I’m looking for more clients so I'll be coming back a lot.” He propped himself up on an elbow and turned his body towards Hux. His free hand traced the skin of Hux’s leg. “It might be nice to have a regular place."

“And a regular fuck?” Hux said. Being an ass felt good. "Well as long as you don't want me sitting here pining after you."

"So um -I - uh - have a partner, kind of."

 _I know._ "Do you always resort to Sexual Harassment to seduce your side pieces?"

Ben looked away. "I don't, I've never I mean well _I have but_ I don't - you're really pretty."

Hux's eyes turned predatory. He sat up and crawled up over Ben’s body. "Am I, now?"

"Yes." Ben's eyes caught and shone with glints of the bedside lamp as he looked up at Hux. Hux hummed and dipped his head to suck on Ben’s lower lip. He pressed in for a kiss then pulled back and stepped off the bed.

“Gonna shower,” Hux said.

Ben joined him.

 

_Hux was beautiful. Ben didn’t bother to stop himself from staring as they showered. Hux knew he was watched, he even preened, Ben thought. There was no reason for him to toss his wet hair like he did, or to run a hand through white suds as they slid down rippling muscle sheathed in pale skin._

_Even after coming, Ben felt the blood straining back for his cock. He didn’t actually get hard but the arousal curled in under his skin, regardless._

_There hadn’t been many men as beautiful in Ben’s limited sexual experience. A few awkward encounters in college, a handful of one night stands in the almost decade since, and-_

_Ben clamped his eyes shut to cut off that train of thought. He opened them to a bottle of body wash being shoved in his general direction._

 

They slept in their own rooms but Hux was dressed and pressed at 7 am when Ben came down to the lobby. They looked at one another for a moment before Ben stepped out, a secret smile teasing at his lips. Hux kept his face a serene mask but a flush brushed over his skin.

That night he walked out of the elevator on the sixth floor to find Ben sitting, cross-legged, in front of his door.

“Oh, hi, I was wondering-” Ben stood. “Would you like to get some dinner? Burger or something?” Hux nodded and opened the door, holding it open behind him. Ben continued rambling behind him. “I could expense it if you’d like.”

Hux shrugged out of his uniform, draping first his jacket then his shirt over the back of the nearest chair and turning to stare at Ben as he unbuttoned his trousers.

“Let me guess,” Ben said and Hux smiled at the way the light in Ben’s eyes seemed to dance. “Fuck now food later?”

Hux hummed and folded his pants atop the rest of his clothes and tugged Ben by the lapels of his suit coat. “You guessed it.” Hux wrapped his arms around wide shoulders and kissed him.

Hands trailed up and down Hux’s torso, fire following in their wake. He hissed and arched into Ben’s long fingers.

“So, how do you want it tonight, Ben?” Hux pushed off Ben’s suit coat and loosened his tie before unbuttoning his shirt.

“Could you-?” Ben paused. “Call me Ren?” Ben asked as he gripped Hux’s hips, his fingers toying with the band of Hux’s underwear. “I would like it if you did.”

“What, is that a nickname?” Hux asked. He parted Ben’s shirt and stroked his hands over the planes of his body.

“My little cousin used to call me that when we were kids. She liked it instead of Ben. No one’s called me it in years, but-.” Ben tipped his head forward and they breathed in each other’s air, just for a moment. “I don’t feel like Ben when I’m here. I don’t know that person. And so I thought-”

“So I make you feel like a kid?”

“No, that’s not-” Ben pulled back and Hux gave him a push, sending him down to the bed. He stood and stripped off his underwear, letting the man on the bed look at him. Hux knelt over him and leaned down. “I don’t know what I’m asking. It’s stupid,” Ben said, looking away.

“It _is_ stupid, Ren, but I like your stupid,” Hux said and he kissed Ren again. Ren pulled back, putting a hand on Hux’s chest. “So this is weird but I don’t know your name.”

“You know my name.”

“Manager Hux? Is your first name manager?”

“Just Hux will do.”

Ren just stared at him and time stretched between them. “Can we just fuck?” Hux absolutely did not whine. Ren just kept blinking up at him. Hux sighed. “It’s Brendol, after my father, I hate it, never call me that, now get your cock out and fuck me.”

 

“So, food?” Hux asked, looking up at Ren still between his thighs.

“I literally just came,” Ren laughed, “don’t make me think. But-” Ren shifted his hips back so he could slide out of Hux. “Yes, food.”

Hux crawled over the bed to the hotel phone and dialed a number.

“ _Manuel, va compra unos hamburguesas,_ ” Hux ordered. Ren’s eyebrows rose at the unaccented Spanish. Manuel whined on the other end of the line, Hux hated lazy Mexicans. “ _Cabron te voy a pagar, no chingas_ .” He felt the bed shift as Ren moved to read texts on his own phone. “ _Quiero dos órdenes, pero dejalos en el pasillo y suena la puerta.”_

“Ok, boss,” Manuel chuckled knowingly at him. _Phasma’s been gossiping._ Hux made a mental note to have a word with her.

“ _Y compra para los de mas. Bien?_ ” Hux could be benevolent.

“ _Si, si voy_ ,” Manuel said and hung up.

“Food’s coming,” Hux informed Ren. Ren looked up from his phone, a question in his eyes. “Nannies,” Hux explained, “here they’re all Mexican.”

“Oh.”

After their shower Hux opened his front door to find two orange and white bags of takeout in the hall accompanied by obscenely large drink cups, filled to the brim. He spread their contents on the small coffee table in front of his couch.

“PS4?” Ren asked, gesturing to the console by Hux’s television.

“Yeah, I got a ton of old games. Don’t play much anymore though. Here,” he said when Ren sat on the couch beside him. “A Texas delicacy, enjoy.” He stuffed one of the burgers into his mouth and waved for Ren to take the second. He flicked on the television, and, of course, Fight Club was playing and, of course, they settled in to watch it, leaving the playstation for _next_ time. That thought settled into Hux pleasantly. He took a moment to wonder at it.

“I saw this movie in theaters you know,” Ren said, sounding quite self-important.

Hux came to and processed what he’d said. “Fuck you did, it was in theaters for like two weeks.”

Ren shrugged. “I did though.”

“How’d you get in, it came out when you were what? Sixteen?”

“Fifteen,” Ren corrected and there was a disturbing slump to his shoulders. He shifted away from Hux on the couch. Suspicion nagged in Hux’s mind and he decided to push.

"Fuck... this…” Hux said, stretching out as he nibbled a fry, “being with you reminds me of being in college. I feel like a freakin kid in this damn _apartment_ . Eating this shit," he waved his stub of french fry at the food "fucking you, watching this." He tossed the fry in his mouth then ran a hand down his bare stomach to settle over the little roll of his stomach. "I'm fucking 20 all over again. All I need is a fridge full of pizza and a bottle of vodka in the freezer.” He paused. “I mean listen to the way I'm talking. I don't swear this much." _Out loud_ , he thought. He reached for another fry. "Just movies, video games, grease and guys - guy," he amended.

"I wouldn't know. I didn't fuck around and play in college." There was a bitter edge to Ren's words. There _was_ something there.

"So you were fucking your Supreme Leader by then?"

Hux was suddenly on his back, Ren looming over him, face dark. A tendril of fear snaked up Hux's spine. He throttled it as he sneered up. "You have trouble keeping your voice down," Hux explained. Ren blinked at him, confused. “When you used my office. Does he know you’re fucking around on him?”

Ren pulled back. “No. He doesn’t.” They sat in silence as Tyler Durden destroyed the world. “I’m gonna go,” Ren said as the credits rolled and Hux didn’t stop him leaving.

 

_Ben retreated to his room, a tremble racing through his body. He tried to breathe. He tried to think. All he felt was confusion, at his panic, at his anger. Hux had mentioned John and something in his world had fractured._

_It was the hotel, Ben decided, as he tossed back a drink from the mini-bar. This damn place felt… unreal. In some ways it was disconnected from_ back home _, his life there, his job and John. On one hand Ben knew he was cheating. But somehow infidelity didn’t seem to be a_ thing _in this strange place that consisted of beige walls and tacky corporate art and a redhead with luminous skin._

_Hux mentioning Ben’s partner had brought the surreal and real crashing together._

_John knew about Ben’s past indiscretions, sometimes Ben thought the older man approved of them. He’d never cared at least. Ben always returned to San Francisco and the cavernous home they shared._

_This was just another passing indiscretion. A one time thing. Well, two time. Ben pulled out the business card he’d stashed in his wallet and ran his thumb over the embossed lines of Hux’s name before returning it to his wallet. This passing indulgence could end whenever Ben wanted._

 

They spent Ren’s third night in town alone in their respective rooms. _Maybe that’s it then._ Hux tried to shrug off the hovering sense of loss at the thought while he stared blankly at the playstation beside the television.

Three weeks later an email popped in his inbox. He gritted his teeth. Ren had apparently swiped one of his business cards and emailed him personally, informing him that he’d be needing a regular room for 2 nights every other week and Hux should expect him starting next week.

He told himself he should just let the infuriating man coordinate his own bookings. He told himself he wasn’t at the asshole’s beck and call. He pulled up the reservation schedule and booked Ren’s rooms, sentiment assigning him to room 615.

Ren’s first night back he knocked on Hux’s door. They didn’t talk, there were no apologies. They kissed and stripped their way to the bedroom. But when Hux asked his usual question, “So, how do you want it?” Ren asked to be tied up. Hux’s heart fluttered and he reached for a box he’d abandoned under his bed ages ago.

“I always knew you were kinky,” Hux said, pulling out a rope and grabbing for one of Ren’s wrists.

"Safe--safeword?" Ren asked.

"Don't need one."

"But what if I want you to stop?"

Hux's hand tightened on the coil of rope he held. "Then say stop."

"But-" Ren squirmed, body nearly aching with the need to stop talking and for Hux to start wrapping him tight, "But what if I get off on saying no?"

Hux rolled his eyes and grasped the front of Ren's shirt, pulling him into a rough, biting kiss. He tipped his head forward to touch their foreheads and broke the kiss. "Do you get off on saying no?" The heat of his breath seared Ren's lips, raw and wet.

"No," Ren whispered.

"Didn't think so." Hux pushed him down onto the bed and grabbed for an ankle.

It had been a while but he still managed a decent job of tying Ren down. “Good?” He asked when long limbs had been secured to the bed.

“Yes,” Ren whispered, voice already sounding a bit muddled.

Hux ran a hand through his hair. “What do you like?”

“Hit me,” Ren said. “Just your hand. Anywhere you want.”

Hux dragged his hand down Ren’s bare back, sliding over warm skin, fingers rippling over the bones of his spine and coming to rest on the swell of his ass. He removed his hand and gave a hard blow to Ren’s ass. His palm stung and Ren cried out. Hux smiled.

He moved to kneel between Ren’s spread legs and pulled the cheeks of his ass apart as he lowered himself to drag his tongue over flushed skin. Ren writhed and Hux slapped him again,  holding him still so he could lap at his entrance.

The sound Ren made was delicious and Hux rewarded him with another slap. He pressed his tongue against the tight ring of Ren’s hole and alternated with slaps and soothing strokes up and down Ren’s ass and thighs.

Ren spread himself open as far as the restraints would allow and whined into the bed. Every strike was punctuated by little gasps that sent lightning down Hux’s spine. He broke off rimming, leaving Ren wet and sopping, to suck dark bruises along the curve of his ass where it met leg. His fingers stroked lightly over the balls pressed down on the bed and up along the skin between them and Ren’s ass.

“Hux,” Ren gasped.

“Sir,” Hux corrected and Ren’s body shook under him.

“Sir, please,” he begged. Hux slipped a finger into him, sliding in easy through the loosened muscle and slick wetness. He quirked a finger, finding Ren’s prostate easily and enjoying the way his body jerked against the restraints.

“Do you like that?” He asked and Ren groaned his appreciation. Hux struck him again and Ren gasped. “I asked if you like it.”

“Yes, yes sir.”

Hux kept fingering, using his free hand to rain blows down over Ben’s back and ass, watching red blossom alongside the dark bruises he’d sucked into white skin. His cock throbbed with need as he watched Ren submit to every blow and beg for more. He made quick work of slicking and sheathing himself one handed before removing his fingers and slamming into Ren in one swift thrust.

Hux gripped himself at his base and held himself up over Ren, rolling his body rhythmically, letting each press into the other man drag. “Good?” he whispered and Ren managed to nod. He quickened his pace in slow, maddening increments, watching as Ren moved below him. His chest expanded with heaving breaths and then froze as Ren clenched around him, orgasm pulsing around Hux’s cock.

He let himself go and fell onto Ren’s back, finally allowing himself to thrust, fast and hard into Ren. Hux moaned his name against the sweat-slicked skin of his abused back. His world narrowed to the pleasure coiling in his cock and tightening balls. He opened his mouth and bit down on a shoulder as he came with one last thrust.

 

 _Ren lay in a daze, the haze of subspace slowly ebbing._ Ren _. His mind circled on the name the way it had sounded on Hux’s tongue, the way it slid through Hux’s red lips while he’d been bound to the bed. He hadn’t been called that in years. The old nickname struck a chord deep within him. He wasn’t sure what had prompted him to ask Hux to call him Ren, yet it felt right. It felt essential._

_He remembered the way little Rey would say it, trying to say Ben. “Ren,” she’d say and he’d correct her, time and time again, a child affronted at the insult of mispronunciation. “Buh Buh Buh BEN,” he’d shout at her and she’d screw up her tiny little face and ball her fists and shout “Ren! That’s what I said!”_

_She was the only one that had ever called him that before now. She was also the closest thing he’d ever had to an actual friend. He recognized, now, how pathetic that was. A thirteen year old kid playing with a four year old girl._

 

Weeks, months slipped by. Time began to be measured by the days Ren was in town. Hux didn’t want to analyze but he recognized that he began from the day Ren left, counting back the time until he would return. He began to hope whatever projects were consuming Ren would never end. It had been a long time since he’d had something to look forward to other than his weekly brunch with Grandpa Tarkin.

Hux opened his door late afternoon, confused, controller in hand. He blinked. It was another week before Ren’s usual visit and yet there he was, standing, incongruous, in the hall, suitcase and portfolio in hand.

"I didn't see your name on the guest list."

"It was a last minute thing and the hotel is full?" Ren looked hopeful. “Phasma sent me up.”

Hux snorted and turned, moving back to his living room, settling into his couch and resuming the game. “Yeah, sleep here,” Hux said. His surprise at seeing Ren settled into pleased anticipation for the coming days.

"Is that-" Ren left his bags, forgotten, in the center of the kitchen and moved closer to see the screen. "Is that Tony Hawk? Like - the old one?"

"Yep," Hux said as he button mashed through a maneuver.

"I- I haven't played in forever." Ren looked hopeful as he gazed at Hux.

Hux rolled his eyes, but inwardly exalted at the thought stolen time with Ren. He sat and flicked his foot, indicating the playstation by the television. "There's a controller over there."

They never had played like they wanted to that first visit. Somehow, they always wound up fucking away their time instead. There was a little flutter in Hux’s chest and he smiled as Ren's back turned towards him, his long fingers rummaging for the promised controller. "Cokes in the fridge," he said. His face was straight, impassive, by the time Ren turned back and joined him on the couch, controller and coke in hand.

"This isn't a coke, this is Dr. Pepper,” Ren said, settling in on the couch and cracking the drink open.

Hux rolled his eyes. "It's a coke."

"No it isn't. It's a Soda of the Dr. Pepper variety."

"Coke."

"Look it isn't, a coke is made by the Coca-Cola company. This is made by the Dr.-Pepper-Company," Ren read from the can.

"I'm not getting in a semantic argument. I don't care who made it. It's a fucking coke. Now quit shitting around and take your turn."

"It's a fucking soda pop," Ren muttered but he started up his turn. Hux found himself fighting hard not to smile at Ren’s pout.

"Pizza will be here soon,” Hux offered. Ren grunted and continued pouting and Hux had to redouble his efforts not to laugh. They took a few turns each, in silence, but Hux found himself inching closer and closer to Ren. He felt strangely light, sitting in his apartment, the light slowly fading to darkness around them and Ren’s face falling into shadow. _Was there a time I found his face awkward?_

"Stop looking at me," Ren muttered after a while.

"You look at me all the time," Hux said and continued staring. He enjoyed the flush of pink that spread across Ren's cheeks and colored the tips of his ears.

"You're still staring," Ren said as we wiped out for the 4th time. Hux hummed and kept staring. A smile began to tease the corner of Ren's lips, and Hux felt nearly giddy. There was something incredibly wrong with how right it was to be sitting playing games with Ren.

There was a knock at the door and Ren's eyes flicked to Hux who sat, still unmoving, on the couch.

“You gonna get that, or what?” Ren asked. Hux smiled and remained seated, discomfited Ren was a delight. There was a second knock and Ren stood in a huff and ran for the door. He opened it and took the pizza then turned to Hux, at a loss for how to pay. “Um?”

Hux stood smoothly and walked to the door, pulling his wallet from his pocket and paying. He shut the door behind the delivery driver and turned to Ren, glaring at him over cardboard pizza boxes. “What the hell is with you?” Ren snapped and Hux reached for the pizza, taking and half turning before audacity had him leaning in to peck Ren on the nose. He hummed in satisfaction and walked back to the couch, leaving Ren to sputter by the door.

A little laugh bubbled up as Hux grabbed a slice, devouring half before returning to his game. “Tekken Tag?” He asked.

“Shit, how retro are you going to go?” Ren asked as he settled in and grabbed his own slice.

“As retro as I want. Music?”

Ren nodded, mouth occupied with cheese and pepperoni. Hux gave him a knowing smirk and queued up a playlist.

“Seriously?” Ren laughed. Blink 182 blared out of the speakers. “All I need is a backwards cap and a skateboard.”

“I told you you make me feel like a kid.” They settled in to play, music going, cokes guzzled and pizza evaporating. Hux beat Ren for a few rounds, then demolished him for another few. After he began flat out wiping the floor with him, Ren stood, body tense and curses spitting from between clenched teeth.

“You break it you buy it,” Hux drawled indicating the controller in Ren’s death-grip. His limbs felt loose, his hand lax over his own controller and he actually sprawled on the couch. Some quirk of his personality emerged, the more irritated Ren got the calmer Hux seemed to feel.

Ren turned to glare at him. “Quit fucking around! I bet you screen peek at Golden Eye you fucking-” Ren froze before he could get going as the Spice Girls began playing. They stared at one another as girl voices sang “ _If you wanna be my lover”._ The anger in Ren’s body evaporated.

They stared through a the whole opening chorus. “Is- is-” Ren started and Hux lost it, curling in on himself with laughter. Ren began howling and collapsed beside him. “You queer! Why do you have the Spice Girls?”

“Because I have the Spice Girls,” Hux said, sitting up and attempting to straighten his face.

“I swear if you put on Liza Minnelli or fucking Barbra Streisand I’m going to leave you and go get a room at the Hilton.”

“Whatever,” Hux said, “quit your bitching and pick something else if you’re gonna whine over Tekken.”

“No, it’s fine,” Ren mumbled.

“Fine but seriously, if you break that controller there is no other and you’re going to go get me a new one.”

“Why can’t you just send Manuel?” Ren whined.

“Because he’s _my_ lazy Mexican not yours.”

“Racist,” Ren mumbled.

“Shut up.”

“You know I used to try to fap to the Spice Girls,” Ren said as they began their next round.

Hux snorted. “Yeah how’d that work out for you?”

“It didn’t. I kept trying though.” Ren attempted a combo and managed to succeed in only smashing buttons. “And then I found the Rated R’s that my parents kept in their room.”

Hux looked over at him as the next round loaded. “Yeah? And?”

Ren blushed and met his eyes for a moment. I swiped their VHS of Thelma and Louise and replaced it with The Land Before Time. I nearly wore out the tape jacking off to Brad Pitt.”

Hux laughed. “Everyone jacked off to Brad Pitt in Thelma and Louise.”

They played through their next round in silence, Hux won again. “Mine was Dirty Dancing,” Hux confided as he exited to the menu screen. Ren stared at him. “I borrowed it from my big sister. I actually did wear out the tape. At the scene where they show Patrick Swayze's ass.”

“Nice,” Ren said.

Ren picked their next game and they played as the hours slipped by. Hux eased up a bit and contemplated letting Ren win a few, then thought better of it. They switched games but Ren did only marginally better. He complained that he hadn’t been allowed to play growing up and only got to when he was hanging with friends. Hux reiterated that he should quit his bitching and man-up.

Eventually Ren’s playing went from terrible to abysmal to non-existent. Hux looked over to see him asleep, body serene, and soft snores coming from his mouth with every exhaled breath. Hux reached for the blanket he kept at the end of the couch and spread it over Ren. He looked at the man for a moment and realized they’d never gotten around to fucking. There was an unfamiliar squeeze in Hux’s chest but he didn’t let himself think on it. He turned back to the television, dedicating himself to hours more of playtime. He was going to make use of his day off tomorrow, responsibilities be damned.

 

_Ren registered the soft clacking of the playstation controller first. It started as background noise in a dream before he became aware. He shifted and felt the weight of a blanket over him. It was warm and soft and smelt of Hux. He cracked an eye and peered through his lashes._

_Hux was on the couch, Ren’s feet tucked on his lap and darkness pressing all around him but he glowed blue in the dim light from the television. The light seemed to dance over Hux’s face. He looked, ethereal, unreal. Ben’s heart clenched and he tried to breathe around the hitch in his breath._

_Hux usually looked severe, perfectly dressed and coiffed. Even when fucking there was an intense focus to him that seemed so incredibly controlled. But as Ren looked at him, in the dark, alone and unobserved he was - soft. There was a serenity to his features and the smile curving his lips seemed uninhibited._

_Ren flicked his eyes to the television._ Final Fantasy 7 _was on the screen. He recognized it instantly and memories of playing it at 13 while Rey watched came back to him. He smiled and curled in, awake now._

_He watched Hux play for hours, unmoving and silent. Eventually Cloud began running into walls and battles were won by harrowing margins. A glance at Hux revealed a nodding head and drooping eyes. Eventually Cloud gave up and just stood, unmoving on the world map._

_Ren opened his eyes fully and watched Hux sleep, reveling in the emotions coursing through him, trying to comprehend them. They felt almost foreign. When light began filtering through the balcony doors in shades of blue turning to gold Ren moved. He covered Hux then slipped away to the restroom to get ready for work._

 

* * *

* * *

 

 

__

Here is the absolutely STUNNING piece of art done by the-pudding-is-a-lie, my artist for this Big Bang. I teared up when I saw it, it's so lovely. This is one of my absolute favorite scenes in the fic and I think she captured it perfectly. Gosh, I can't stop staring at it, I love it so much, their faces, their hands, the glow of the television lighting them. Ugh, perfection. Please, please go check out [Her Tumblr](http://the-pudding-is-a-lie.tumblr.com/) for more excellent work!


	3. Chapter 3

The next night Hux opened his door to a distraught Ren. His face was a splotchy, pathetic mess. Hux merely stepped aside and let him slump into the apartment.

“Not a good day, I take it?” Hux said, closing the door and leaning against it to watch Ren step out of his shoes and pull off his tie. 

“No.” Ren said, tightly as he braced himself against the counter on both fists. “No.”

“Want something to drink? Or-”

There was a loud crash and a second, a third. Ren was pounding his fist on the counter. Hux rolled his eyes and moved to start water boiling for tea.  _ He _ at least would have something while Ren threw his tantrum. “You may want to stop with the punching at some point,” Hux said evenly. “I don’t fancy a trip to the emergency room for a broken hand.” He set out two mugs and dug for his tea bags. 

“I lost a potential second account.”

“Hmm, tragic,” Hux said, pulling honey from an overhead cabinet. There was a clatter and Hux turned to see Ren, doubled over in pain and a dent in one of his cabinets. 

“Damn it,” Hux said, crouching to look at Ren’s foot only to be waved away.

“Go away,” Ren barked.

Hux stood. “You are in  _ my _ apartment, you know.” He leaned to examine the cabinet door. “And you’re going to pay to have my kitchen resurfaced.”

Ren sneered. “What, all of it?”

The kettle began to steam and Hux pulled it off just before it began to whistle. “Yes, all of it. And you’re giving up room 615 to me while the contractor’s in here too.”

Ren straightened and nodded. “Figures, I fucked up I pay for it.” For the words alone Hux might have let it slide but there was a  _ tone _ to Ren’s words that dug in under his skin. He set the kettle down and wrenched Ren around.

“The hell?” Ren tried to pull away but Hux tightened his grip. His eyes bored into Ren’s, searching. 

“Cut it out,” Hux whispered.

“What?” Ren’s eyes were glassy and red rimmed. 

Hux dug his nails into Ren’s arms, the dress shirt the only thing keeping him from breaking skin. “Stop talking like you’re pathetic.”

“Hux.”

“Shut up.” Hux kissed him. It was brutal and bruising. He sucked and bit on Ren’s lips and felt the man tense in his arms. “Don’t say anything,” Hux growled, “unless it is to tell me to stop.”

He turned Ren to the bedroom and stripped the rest of his clothes off, tossing them aside and pushing him face down into the bed. 

“Hands up,” Hux commanded and Ren buried his face in the pillows and stretched his arms to the headboard. Hux straddled Ren’s bare back and made quick work of the straps that had become a permanent fixture on the bed. 

“Nod if it’s ok.” Hux kept his voice hard but he stroked one hand softly down Ren’s spine, a soothing promise. Ren nodded and Hux lifted a hand to strike at Ren’s flank.

Ren writhed away for a moment then arched back, body seeking Hux’s hand. Hux struck again and, again, Ren squirmed, a soft cry slipping past his lips, muffled by the pillow. Hux moved them aside so Ren could breathe and resumed his strikes, tracing a path down Ren’s back. He hit each cheek of Ren’s ass, watching the red blossom over pale skin in the precise shape of his hand. Ren moaned in earnest and began to roll his hips down into the bed. 

Hux stroked a hand over Ren’s abused flesh, delicate and gentle. He pulled back and struck again, Ren’s answering shout sent the blood pooling in his groin. Hux’s jeans were too tight and his skin was too hot. He stepped off the bed to strip and Ren whimpered. 

“Shhh,” Hux soothed and dropped a hand to rest between Ren’s shoulder blades. One handed, he unfastened his pants and shimmied them off. He thanked his foresight in wearing a shirt with buttons and undid them, slipping the shirt off one arm at a time so he stayed in constant contact with Ren. He took a moment to stand and appreciate Ren’s long body, tied and prone on the bed, black hair a shocking contrast to the porcelain white and blood red flush of his back. 

Hux groaned and gripped his thickening shaft, giving himself a long stroke and rolling his palm over his head in an attempt to ease the pressuring demands of his cock.  

He stroked the hand still on Ren’s back and slid it down to strike Ren’s ass again, mesmerized by the flush of Ren’s skin. With that hand he roughly shoved Ren’s legs apart and began to tease at Ren’s opening. Ren began to roll his hips down into the bed, quick thrusts that tightened the muscles of his ass and thighs. With every roll up he pressed himself deeper onto Hux’s fingers. 

With his free hand Hux reached for the lube on his nightstand and popped it open. He knelt between Ren’s spread legs and drizzled a stream over the fingers still teasing at Ren’s entrance. He stretched and flexed his fingers, coating them and allowing them to slide easily into Ren’s pliant body.

Ren’s head snapped back and he groaned at the intrusion. Hux fought to control his breathing as his cock responded to Ren’s voice, pulsing and throbbing with need. He gripped himself again and gave a few more strokes to take the edge off his lust so he could turn back to Ren.

He had two fingers buried between the soft curves of Ren’s ass. The red flush had faded from his skin. Hux let go of himself and struck a rapid series of blows in perfect counterpoint to his thrusting fingers. The flush deepened to a dark red and Hux leaned down to trace over it with his tongue. 

Ren began to fuck himself back into Hux in earnest, hips gyrating to try to get Hux’s fingers to just the right spot. Hux gripped Ren’s hip hard, freezing any motion. Ren whined underneath him but didn’t fight. Reaching with his fingers Hux found what Ren had been writhing for and began to stroke over his prostate, merciless. He moved his hand from Ren’s hip to his back, pressing down to arch Ren’s back into his massaging fingers.

Ren’s breath came in deep gasps that shuddered through him and shook the bed. Hux felt like he was a second away from explosion but he kept his mind on Ren. They’d been together enough times for Hux to tell when he was approaching Ren’s line of no return. He skirted up to it then in one swift move removed his fingers from Ren’s body. 

Ren sobbed but Hux pressed himself over Ren’s body, covering him completely as he reached across the bed for a condom. He gave one hard bite to Ren’s shoulder before kneeling back to roll the condom on. 

“Fuck you’re gorgeous,” Hux groaned as he gripped Ren’s hips and pulled him up, pushing himself into Ren with one deep roll of his hips. Heat and pleasure engulfed him and he let Ren’s name slide over his tongue to dangle in the air between them. He pulled back almost all the way before slamming back in. Ren’s head jerked, hair tossing back in a silk cascade.

Hux had to touch it, had to twine is around his fingers. He gripped a fistfull and pulled it taut, arching Ren’s neck. Hux’s body undulated as he pounded into Ren. 

Ren began to cry but never said stop. His sobs and whines sent electricity skittering down Hux’s spine to light along his cock.  He shut his eyes and gave into the frantic, erratic thrusts that presaged his climax. He held Ren tight and curled down over his back, pressing his forehead to Ren’s sweat-slicked skin. His body shuddered and convulsed as light flashed against his closed eyes. His body thrummed as his cock pulsed in time to the beat of his heart. 

He collapsed atop Ren, but only for a moment. Hux untied him and slid half under Ren’s limp body, pulling him in close to hold and warm his shivering body. He stroked fingers over Ren’s face where it lay against his chest, pushing aside damp hair from Ren’s tear-streaked face. He whispered soft wordless sounds under his breath.

“Good?” Hux asked.

Ren looked at him with dreamy eyes and smiled. Hux figured it would be a while before he was verbal so he settled their bodies into one another and stared into the ceiling. 

Hux blinked out of a daze an indeterminate time later. He’d been dozing. Ren’s voice had pulled him out. 

“My mom’s a congresswoman.” Ren said. There was a soft slur to his words. “She was military that - made it to Major.” Hux looked down to Ren. He was talking with his eyes closed. “My dad runs a shipping business. International.” Ren licked his lips and paused for a while.

“They’re both beautiful and charming and everyone loves them. Everyone thinks they’re just perfect. The  _ perfect _ family. And they love each other. I think. They fight a lot. Dad’s gone a lot. Says he feels an itch in his feet if he stays in one place too long so - always on the road.” 

Hux ran a lazy hand up and down Ren’s back and felt the muscles of his back begin to tense. 

“My mom.” There was the hint of a hitch to his voice when he spoke of her. “She’s tiny but when she talks people  _ listen _ . She’s got to be perfect - you see. And her work - She has to be in DC a lot but her district is in California.  _ No sense in making poor Ben go all the way across the country. _ ” Ben’s voice tightened, pitched high in mimicry. Hux looked down at him again and his eyes were open but focused far awa. “It made sense to send me to Uncle Luke.”  Ren’s breathing was deep and hard. “Luke wanted to be a priest once.” Venom coated Ren’s words. His body was taut against Hux. 

“I met John when I was 13. Luke was a teacher, always busy. Mom- Dad-,” Ren’s voice drifted off. “John was the only one who ever listened or cared about  _ me _ .” Ren wrenched himself from Hux’s arms and sat against the headboard, knees pressed to his chest. “I wasn’t some future co-pilot to join in my father’s adventures on the road, or the missing piece to mom’s picture perfect family, or some strange disturbed kid. John saw just me. 

“He recognized something in me, saw that there was something different. I see the world different. He was the first to notice my drawings. He guided me, led me. When I finally left-

“Why did they even HAVE me if they didn’t even want to KNOW me?” Ren shouted. There were tears streaking down his face but Hux made no move to stop them. Quiet lapsed as Ren struggled to speak around the anger burning in him. Hux waited.

“John took me in, supported me, helped me get into school, took care of me while I went, then gave me a job. I’m going to make partner this year, head up a new region, and I… I let him down.”

Hux felt Ren’s eyes on him so he turned. Ren waited for his reaction. Hux turned to reach for his cigarettes and took his time lighting and taking a few drags. The lines of tension in Ren’s body straightened tighter and tighter as time stretched between them.  

“So?”

“So?!” Ren’s voice snapped with outrage. 

Hux shrugged. “So you have shitty parents and had a shitty childhood.” He met Ren’s eyes and stared down his appalled shock. He took another drag and blew it out at the ceiling.

“Look -” Hux said, “The Huxes are cold, ruthless bastards. I speak perfect spanish because that’s what I grew up speaking because dad was never  _ fucking _ around after mom died. He owns half of this damn city and I was going to have it all - until it went to shit because my damn sister stabbed me in the back and I haven’t talked to any of them in three years. Now all I have is this.” He gestured around the room. “This hotel, this room. I lost everything but what Grandpa Tarkin gives me. Doesn’t matter. I’m not going to cry over my old man and his hag of a third wife? Fourth? Fuck I don’t even know but I’m not gonna whine about them or my slut of a breeder sister. I’m going to work my ass off and make this place worth something. You either cry or you get over it and move on. Bitching gets you nothing.”

“What happened?”

“It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t fucking matter. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. So your parents were shit. A lot of parents are shit. A lot of lives are shit. You’re not special Ren. Your pain is no more important or meaningful than anyone else’s. Pain is no excuse for a shitty life. So quit your fucking whining and  _ move on. _

“Maybe John cared - maybe. How old were you when he started fucking you?” Hux looked at Ren but Ren refused to meet his gaze. Hux took another drag and blew it out. “Yeah maybe he listened and supported you. Or maybe he was grooming you. Maybe he was this amazing saint or maybe he’s a fucking pedo.”

“You don’t know shit.”

“Maybe.” Hux agreed then leaned over the bed to stub out his cigarette. “Doesn’t matter. Not John, not your mom, not your dad. All of it is bullshit. There’s just you.”

They sat on the bed against the headboard, side by side, not touching, not looking at one another. “I bet your pedo benefactor is already grooming your replacement,” Hux sneered, provoking Ren.

“Shut up.”

“Think about it,” Hux’s said, voice patient and disinterested, “you probably already know who it is, his face popped in your head the moment I said it. Someone pretty and young, with a sob story of his own, a broken family and no one on his side.”

“Stop it!”

Hux shrugged then gasped as he was yanked to lay on the bed. Ren loomed over him, angry but brittle as if he were a second away from fracturing. Hux trailed a finger up over Ren’s cheek through sweat and tears, unafraid as he met Ren’s dark eyes. He stroked his finger down Ren’s nose.  _ So angry and fragile, _ he thought. 

Ren closed his eyes and kissed Hux. It was deep, passionate, needy. Hux brought both hands up to cup Ren’s face, fresh tears sliding, hot, over his fingers. They kissed and kissed and Hux spread his legs to let Ren rest between them. He wrapped his legs around Ren’s locking them together.

Ren’s hands roamed over his arms, his shoulders, up through his hair. Their kisses seemed endless, their breath filling each other, their bodies pressed tight.

Ren broke off to bury his head in the curve of Hux’s neck. He littered Hux’s neck with kisses, tracing up his jaw and down to suck on his ear before returning to claim his mouth. “I hate you,” Ren whispered, voice a broken wreck. They both heard the lie.

Ren pressed his cheek to Ren’s and began to thrust against his body. Hux blinked and realized Ren was hardening, he’d never come and the cock against his hip was growing hot and full.

“I hate you,” Ren said again and claimed his lips. Hux opened his mouth and let Ren slide into him, tongue and lips possessing him. Hands stroked down his face, his shoulder, along his flank and returned to cup his face. “I-” Ren broke off unable to finish the phrase.

“It’s ok,” Hux said. He tightened his thighs, holding Ren close. Their lips slid against each other, tongues intertwining, first in Ren’s mouth, then in Hux’s. Ren broke this kiss and pressed their faces together, cheek to cheek as he rocked against Hux’s body, the glide of his cock eased by silk skin and sweat. 

Ren’s fingers resumed trailing his body and he dropped his head to trace the shell of Hux’s ear with his tongue. He groaned as he frotted against Hux and the sound shook something in Hux, it was raw and intimate. Wet heat struck Hux’s cheek and he realized that a tear had spilled from the corner of Ren’s eye to fall on him. 

Hux wrapped his arms up around Ren’s neck and held his body tight to Ren. The fingers teasing at him dropped between them to press against his entrance. They pressed only, dry and not pushing in. The pressure set Hux’s heart racing and he reached for the lube lying on the bed. He drizzled a stream over his fingers behind Ren’s back, spilling a good amount over his back but Ren didn’t seem to care. He was more interested in sucking the delicate skin of Hux’s collar bone. 

Dripping wet, Hux slid his hand between them to join Ren’s. He slid them together, intertwining them and slicking Ren’s fingers with his own as together they pressed past the tight ring of Hux’s ass. The contortion of Ren’s wrist seemed painful but he didn’t stop, Hux’s palm pressed against the back of Ren’s hand and their fingers, sliding against one another, curled in the tight heat of Hux’s body. 

They didn’t bother with prostate, the sensation of being filled, of both of them penetrating him was enough. Hux moaned, wanton and careless and Ren echoed him. The slide of their fingers went on for a seeming eternity, they pushed past the pain of oversensitivity and kept going. 

Finally, Ren pulled back to reach for a condom. The cool air that filled the void between them, the emptiness inside him when Ren slid his finger out of Hux, sent an ache that clamped itself like a vice around Hux’s heart. Something inside him felt like it was breaking. 

He brought his free hand up to cup Ren’s face. He needed to look into his dark eyes. They were haunted, terrified. Hux moved the hand between his legs, leaving himself empty. He propped himself up to kiss Ren’s lips, closed mouth, chaste. He kissed across cheeks and chin and nose. Ren dipped his head and Hux laid kisses over his closed eyes before laying back down.

He couldn’t stop staring into Ren’s eyes. Blind they rolled the condom over Ren together and Ren pressed into Hux, filling him, completing him. His world shifted and everything, reality itself fell into place with the slow press of Ren into him. 

His pace was slow, careful. There was no rush of passion and need. Their limbs intertwined and Hux could not tell where he ended and Ren began. There was only their connection. Everything else, their past, their future, the bed and the darkness that enshrouded them fell away. 

Hux felt his cock stiffen, it felt a miracle as he’d just come but nonetheless, heated blood pooled in his groin. Ren notice and gripped him, giving even, measured strokes in time to his thrusts. They kissed one another, eyes open as if they could not bear to retreat into themselves, into their own pleasure. 

Soft grunts and moans punctuated the wet slap of their bodies but all that mattered was the building tension between them. 

Hux recognized the telltale pattern as Ren’s thrusts began to unravel. Ren was close and the knowledge brought Hux’s orgasm leaping closer. 

He never put stock in shared orgasms and yet every broken thrust, every raw moan of his name on Ren’s lips, every gasp of Ren’s name on his own lips taught him that this was something different. As one they arched into one another as they came, eyes devouring each other as pleasure spiked, consumed and destroyed them. Hux’s body throbbed with the pounding surge of his heart and for a moment he felt its echo in the pulse of Ren’s cock buried in him. 

As the orgasm ebbed and retreated, leaving them spent, finally they both closed their eyes and fell into one another, sealing the circle of their bodies with a tender kiss that shattered Hux anew. 

They lay in one another until the wilting of Ren’s erection necessitate separation. Discarding the condom carelessly, they held one another, drifting into spent sleep and wrapped into one another.

 

"I bet you were awkward, in high school. All those limbs and that nose. I bet you were a little ugly duckling," Hux said as they lay in bed the next morning, early morning sun filtering down on them. Something was different about this morning though neither of them seemed willing to name it. Instead they lay in soft light and prodded one another while smiling. 

Ren snorted. "Just in High School?" He asked, almost to himself.

Hux kicked him. "Shut up."

"Whatever."

"No," Hux straddled Ren's legs. "No shut it with that talk. I'm fucking you and I don't fuck ugly. Don't you criticize my judgement." His tone was light, playful but there was steely truth in his words. He dropped a hand to grasp Ren's cock and lowered his mouth to give a long, biting suck at the flesh of Ren's shoulder. Ren groaned under him. 

"Did you just call me a swan?" Ren said, following the analogy to it's natural conclusion. 

Hux bit him, hard. "You're fucking ridiculous."

“Ow!” Ren yelped then pushed at Hux. “Don’t you have to work today?”

“Don’t you fly back today?”

“I’m gonna miss my flight.”

“I’m calling in sick. I’m the boss, I can do that.”

Ren flipped Hux only to have Hux squirm and flip him back. The wrestled, pinning each other and evading, rolling over the bed and nearly falling a half-dozen times. “Stop, stop, stop,” Hux shouted and they froze. Hux’s room phone was ringing. 

“Damn,” Hux cursed and he reached for it. “Yeah?” he said over the line.

“Sir, sorry to bother but your grandfather is here,” Phasma said.

“What?!” Hux sat up straight. “He’s here?”

“Yes sir, he’s waiting in the small conference room. Says he wants to talk to you.”

Hux hung up the phone and scrambled off the bed and into the shower. 

“What was that?” Ren said.

“Grandpa Tarkin is here for me. He  _ never _ comes to the hotel,” Hux explained as he hopped into the shower. This could not be good. 

 

Hux sat in his freshly ironed uniform across from his grandfather, large conference table spread between them. His clothes seemed to press into his skin. He had emerged from his shower to Ren standing in his underwear in front of the door mounted ironing board in his closet, ironing Hux’s uniform. 

“Put something in your stomach,” Ren had said without looking up, looking absurd as a spire of steam wafted around his head. So Hux had crammed a toasted english muffin in his mouth and dressed in the clothes Ren had ironed. 

It felt awkward, strangely domestic, sitting in clothes that still felt warm though they couldn’t be. He was hyper aware of them as he watched Grandpa Tarkin flip through printouts of the hotel financials. 

“If you’re going to be sick,” Tarkin grumped, “kindly excuse yourself.” He flicked a look at Hux then resumed reading. 

“No, sir, I’m fine,” Hux said. He smoothed his face and the front of his uniform, sitting erect and unmoving.

“Well,” Tarkin said, looking up and lacing his fingers together over the table. “I know you update me weekly but I wanted to look at everything in context.” He pushed back from the table and Hux followed suit. “Show me the place.”

“Of course, sir.” Hux nodded and inclined slightly as he held open the door, letting Tarkin walk through first. He kept his pace slow and steered them towards the kitchen. He detailed the recent changes to the restaurant theme and direction. They moved through the back of house areas as Hux introduced the senior staff that he’d spent the last few years honing. 

Had he not known his grandfather all his life Hux would be unnerved by the man’s stoic reserve. His face was a frozen, unreadable mask, his questions sharp and direct. Hux offered no fluff in return, speaking frankly. He made no pretense of covering up his known deficiencies and was honest about his plans to address them.

Hux nearly tripped, however, as they walked down the hall of the sixth floor. He stuttered mid description of their accommodations for long term guests and glared at Ren who was closing the door to Hux’s room. 

“We do have several regular guests,” Hux said, trying to recover, “and we do our best to make this their home away from home. This,” he continued as Ren paused in front of them, “in fact, is one of said regulars, Mr. Ben Solo. He’s with us every two weeks and has been coming here for - six months now isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Ren confirmed. “Nice to meet you - uh-” His eyes darted to Hux. 

“Wilhuff Tarkin,” Hux provided smoothly. “The owner of this hotel.”

“Oh,  _ oh _ ,” Ren said and shook Grandpa Tarkin’s hand, “yes, having to travel and stay here frequently, so it’s nice to have a regular place to call home. I even have a regular room set up and Hux and his staff set it up exactly how I like it when I arrive.”

“Oh,” Tarkin said, “what room is yours?” The question  _ sounded _ innocent but Hux’s stomach flipped over. 

“615,” Ren answered unthinking. Hux wanted to strangle him.  _ Fuck _ . 

“Excellent,” Tarkin said and there was a small smile on his lips. “Well, I won’t keep you.” Hux stepped back half a step to glare at Ren from over his grandfather’s shoulder. Ren blinked, confused, then ducked his head and excused himself, muttering about food.

Grandpa Tarkin resumed walking without comment. He inclined his head as they passed the door to the room Ren had closed. “Didn’t he say room 615?” Hux looked at the room number on his door, betrayed by the number 627. He didn’t answer the question, but he was pretty sure the flush burning cheeks did that for him.

“Six months did you say?” Tarkin asked and Hux mentally scrambled for dignity. He attempted to shift the conversation by detailing the upcoming decorating upgrades but he caught Grandpa Tarkin’s knowing glance.

They rounded up the tour by returning to the restaurant where Grandpa Tarkin insisted on brunch. Hux made sure to sit with his back to Ren, seated at the back of the restaurant and poking at pancakes. He had to maintain his composure somehow.

“Well, I am impressed,” Tarkin said after they placed their order. 

“Sir?”

“You’ve completely turned this place around. I had given up hope and was going to offload it but - you have made something to be proud of.”

Hux mentally preened. “Thank you sir,” he said, voice even and face blank.

“I want you to draw up a business plan for expansion into a chain.”

“A chain?” Shock dissolved Hux’s composure and amazement showed on his face. He’d never considered - his only goal had been an efficient, successful business. 

“A small one for now. And pending the review of your plan, I’d like to transfer full ownership of the entire enterprise to you, with myself remaining as a major investor.”

“Sir!” Hux actually gaped.

“Oh close your mouth and get a hold of yourself. Really.” He drank from his water before resuming. “I am getting on now, and you’re past 30. It’s time to start putting your skills to real use. I never agreed with how things shook out with that worthless father of yours. If Ellie were still alive-”

Hux’s heart clenched at the dim memories of his mother that surfaced with the mention of her name. Grandpa Tarkin cleared his throat and took another drink.  

“Well that’s old news now,” Tarkin said, voice gruff. “The majority of my enterprises will go to your Uncle Moff, of course, but this-” his hand swept a graceful arc encompassing all around them, “this will be yours, and you’ll have the resources you need to make something of yourself.”

“I- am grateful, sir.” Hux said.

“Yes, well,” Tarkin said then stopped as their food arrived. As they ate they discussed a vision for expansion. Hux triumphed at his Grandfather’s sparse but meaningful praise. The shape of Hux’s future began to shift in his mind.

“Oh and Hux,” Tarkin said when their plates were taken away. 

“Hm?”

“Feel free to let your boyfriend know. Take him out and celebrate tonight.”

“Boyfriend?” Hux snapped.

“He’s been watching us this whole time.” Hux mentally berated himself. Sitting so  _ he _ couldn’t see the infuriating man had meant that  _ Grandpa Tarkin  _ could. “He seems the good sort,” Grandpa Tarkin continued, “And I don’t know that you’ve ever had anyone last six months.”

“I-”

“Oh don’t bother lying. Come see me out.” Tarkin rose and began to walk for the exit. 

_ Boyfriend?  _ Hux thought as he watched his grandfather’s car drive away.  _ All he is is a fuck _ . A regular fuck… for the last six months. The memory of last night prodded at him, attempting to make him a liar. 

Hux hated boyfriends.

He returned to the lobby and sneered at the sight of Ren loitering at the entrance to the restaurant. “Follow me,” he snapped.

“Was that your grandfather?” Ren asked.

“Shut up and  _ follow me,” _ Hux repeated. The never discussed what shifted between them that week but something  _ had _ shifted.

 

Ren was supportive to the point of excited over Hux’s good news. 

His next few visits invariably consisted of the two of them sitting side by side at Hux’s coffee table, working next to each other late into the night, Hux on his business plan and Ren making sketches by hand or on his laptop.

“Drink?” Ren asked as he stood to stretch his legs. Hux grunted and continued analyzing his financial projections. He returned and sat on the couch instead of the floor with Hux. He sat, drinking and staring at the spreadsheet on Hux’s laptop. “So-” he said, getting Hux’s attention. 

Peeved, Hux turned to glare at him. 

“Tell me about it,” Ren said.

Hux sighed. “Don’t you have drawings to do?” Hux paused then considered. “Though you’ve only started drawing since I’ve started working. Why didn’t you have to work late before this?” He narrowed his eyes.

“There’s always work,” Ren said, waving him off that subject.  “Tell me about your thing.”

“My thing?” Hux scowled. “You mean my plans for converting my business model into a regional network of hotels?”

Ren laughed. “Yeah that.” 

Hux did and found Ren incredibly receptive and thoughtful. He even provided valuable thought and insight to several issues Hux hadn’t considered. When Ren returned to his drawing Hux sat and watched him draw. 

He was interrupted in his staring by Ren’s cell phone going off. A glance at the screen a half-second before Ren answered brought the bile rising in Hux’s chest.  _ The Supreme Leader. _ He spat mentally reading the name John off the screen. His calls during Ren’s time here had begun to increase, always late at night. 

He didn’t even bother to listen to Ren’s half of the conversation, instead stalking to take a blistering shower. 

He scrubbed at the suds in his hair. Reciting a litany of abuse at the Supreme Leader. The man had become positively invasive. They’d been having a nice, relaxed evening, working and just enjoying one another’s company and  _ he  _ had to call. 

Shaking as he rinsed off, Hux tried to get a hold of himself. His anger was completely irrational, he reasoned. But the blood simmering under his skin was having none of it.  _ Well you  _ are _ the other woman, _ his mind chided and Hux’s composure nearly snapped. Instead he settled for yanking the shower curtain open, only to see Ren, half undressed in the steam.

“Oh I was going to join you-”

“I thought you’d be talking to the Supreme Leader longer,” Hux deadpanned. He stepped out of the shower and reached for a towel.

“Are you angry?” Ren said, looking ridiculous with his clothing half off.

“He’s been calling a lot,” Hux said. He brushed the towel over his body and hung it.

“Yeah well-”

“Work,” Hux cut off. 

“Is this jealousy?”

“I don’t get jealous.”

“Then what the hell?”

Hux shrugged then disappeared into the bedroom to pull on pajamas. Ren eventually decided to shower and Hux sat at the coffee table, attempting to let his own work absorb him but instead listened to the sound of Ren’s shower going. 

Perhaps he was jealous. Hux tried to consider it but rejected it. He just hated the man that had groomed a weak, lonely child and then seduced and kept him enthralled for almost two decades. He hated when the vile being intruded on  _ his _ time.

Ren emerged from the room, slightly damp and in his own pajamas. “Do you want me to go to my room?”

Something churned uncomfortably in Hux. Ren hadn’t slept in his own room, for all that it was continually booked and paid for on schedule, since the night he’d lost his account. “No,” he said, before he’d even really decided. “No stay.”

Ren smiled, a soft crooked thing, then sat on the floor beside Hux. They worked in silence for a while. 

“I don’t like when he calls,” Hux said as he looked through the papers in his hands. Ren opened his mouth to answer but Hux cut him off. “I know you have to answer and I know there’s nothing I can do about it. But he’s an asshole and I don’t have to like it.” Ren didn’t respond. “He’s been calling more.”

“I know.”

“Late at night too.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you think he knows?” Hux hazarded a look at Ren. His dark hair obscured his eyes. Hux compressed his lips to a thin line.

Ren shrugged. “I’m not sure.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I’ve fucked around before. I’m almost certain he knows. He’s never said or done anything.”

Hux was almost certain whatever level of ‘fucking around’ Ren had achieved in a previous life wasn’t quite the same as the thing that had them sitting in the middle of his living room working together for hours. “We haven’t fucked the last two times you were here.” As he said it he realized it was true but he tried to ignore the implications.

Ren turned to look at him, eyes blinking in confusion. “Well we’ve been working a lot with the proposal and my project- Do you want to fuck?”

Hux shook his head. Ren’s hands moved and long fingers cradled his face. “You sure?” Ren asked, voice a deep and seductive lull. “I could fuck you over this couch right now.”

“I just showered,” Hux sneered but it was half-hearted. Ren’s face softened and his lips pressed against Hux’s, a chaste kiss.

“Blow me in the morning then?” Ren asked, eyes dancing greedily.

“Fuck off and draw, you idiot.” Hux pushed him away and returned to his work.

Shortly after midnight his eyes began to droop and rather than shuffle to bed, Hux crawled up onto the couch behind Ren and curled himself up to doze while watching the man draw in three dimensions. 

In the dead of night a weight pressed down on him deliciously, Ren joining him on the couch, their bodies contorting to fit too-long limbs on an unaccomodating couch. 

Hux tried not to laugh the next morning as he woke to Ren lapping at his morning wood. He failed and snickered which caused Ren to rear back, affronted at the mockery to his fellating skill. “Oh shut it you overgrown man-child and suck my dick,” Hux huffed around his laughter until Ren’s tongue reduced him to whiney moans. 

He tried not to miss him when Ren left later the next day but it became increasingly difficult. After an initial shock at actually feeling longing, Hux began to accept and even welcome the emotion.

 

Three weeks and one intervening Ren-visit later, Hux received a random text from an unfamiliar number claiming it was Ren in San Francisco. He replied, not quite surprised at the almost light-giddiness in his chest. Then Ren began to call. Hux answered whenever he did. He tried to tell himself it was only because he was horny and the sounds Ren made as he came on the other end of the line would make a phone sex girl weep with envy…. if there even were phone sex girls nowadays.  

But some nights all they did was talk. Until one night there was another man’s voice in the background of Ren’s line before it abruptly went dead and Hux realized that Ren was actually  _ living  _ with the Supreme Leader. He felt physically ill.

Ren didn’t call again and Hux refused to answer any texts the rest of the week. He opened the door, however when Ren showed up right on schedule. They didn’t discuss the Supreme Leader but when Ren went back to San Francisco the calls resumed and Hux resumed answering them. He learned to live with the occasional hang up or non-sequitur in which Ren addressed him as Mitaka and began discussing the Stevenson account.

Hux took Ren to Penne the night Grandpa Tarkin approved his plans for expansion and regretted it when he saw Francisco’s approving look. Ren drank and teased Hux about not drinking then they partied at some hip club he’d never heard of, dragged by Francisco and a bunch of kids much too young for them to be hanging out with.

When they stumbled back to Hux’s apartment that night Ren complained that he was too old to be partying so hard and Hux sneered at him. “Alright old man,” he teased and pulled Ren up against him as they stood in the kitchen, bodies pressed together.

“You should let me design your hotels,” Ren slurred, wrapping his arms around Hux. 

“You aren’t picking me up for work,” Hux said.

“We have hospitality experience. I could do it.” Ren backed Hux against the fridge. “I’d do a good job for you.” He slid a knee between Hux’s legs.

“Whatever, shut up.” Hux kissed him.

“Ok,” Ren mumbled into Hux’s mouth. “Congratulations, though,” Ren whispered. Hux bit at Ren’s  tongue as punishment for not staying focused. Ren laughed and placed large hands on either side of Hux’s head. “I’m happy for you.” He kissed Hux soundly, lips and tongue staking their claim and Hux’s chest constricted, the words meaning almost as much as the ones indicating Grandpa Tarkin’s approval of his plans. 

Hux brought his hands up to grip the small of Ren’s back, returning his kiss. It was more than erotic, it was intense, intimate. There was a sweetness to the way Ren moved against him. When they broke apart Hux could barely breathe. He dipped his head into the curve of Ren’s neck.

“I think you’re my boyfriend,” he whispered, voicing the thought that had plagued him for the last month.

“I think so too.”

Ren pulled him off the fridge and into the bedroom. They stripped and, too drunk to do anything but sleep, they collapsed on their respective sides of the bed. Their hands intertwined sometime after they’d both drifted off. 

Hux made sure to wake Ren with a blowjob.

 

“Stay an extra day next time you come,” Hux demanded over the phone. “I’ll take an extra day off and we’ll spend it together. 

“You’re going to get in trouble taking off so much,” Ren laughed. There was a soft plunck over the line. 

“What was that?” Hux asked. “And we’ve been over this, trouble with who? I own the place.”

“Kicked a rock into the pool and I don’t know. Someone’s bound to get mad if you don’t work.”

Hux wrinkled his nose and rolled over in bed, onto his back. “I do work, and I do know how to do my job. For your information,  _ Ren _ .”

“Alright but if we do then we can’t fuck the whole time. I want to play some Witcher.”

“You know sometimes I’m not sure if you come for my cock or for my playstation.”

“Why can’t it be both?” Ren laughed. “I never got to play that much as a kid.” His old, worn excuse.

“Lies,” Hux teased. There was a pause and Hux stared at the ceiling, imagining Ren’s face hovering over him, fantasizing about the way light would filter through the curtain of his dark hair.

“I miss you,” Ren said and Hux’s heart skipped a beat. “I wish I could come down and stay. I wish-” there was another soft plunk, “I wish I could get the Dallas office up and running and I could be with you all the time.”

A voice not Ren’s filtered through the line and Hux’s stomach lurched. 

“Ren, Ren?”

The line went dead.

 

_ “You know, I’ve always tolerated your jaunts, Ben.” John’s voice froze Ren cold where he stood on the back porch. He’d thought John still in China. He shouldn’t have been back yet.  _ How much did John hear?  _ He wrapped his large hand over the phone but there was no sense in hiding it. “That’s not your phone. Or,” John said, settling down into an overstuffed chair, “it’s not the phone  _ I _ pay for.” _

_ “No it’s-” Ren couldn’t even think of a lie.  _

_ “You can fuck around all you want but I will  _ not _ tolerate your emotional entanglements. Do you understand?” _

_ “Yes, sir,” Ren said. He sank into the chair beside John.  _

_ “You have so much potential Ben, if only you saw it. I’m only looking out for your best interests.” John’s voice was so thin and patient. It was true that John had only ever looked out for him.  _

_ “ _ Maybe he was grooming you. Maybe he was this amazing saint or maybe he’s a fucking pedo.”  _ Hux’s words reverberated in his mind and he buried his head in his hands. He felt confused, weak. _

_ A wrinkled hand reached out to stroke his hair. “Your career hinges on you doing exactly what I tell you, do you understand?” Ren nodded. “You won’t be staying at Mr. Brendol Hux’s hotel any longer. I’ve had Mitaka make other arrangements for your trips down south.” Ben jerked his head up, astonished. John laughed. “There is nothing you do that I am not aware of. Give me that phone.” _

_ Ren offered up the phone and John took it, looking at it with disinterest before tossing it casually into the pool. _

 

Hux tried to tell himself he wasn’t concerned. But it had been almost a week. A week and he’d heard nothing from Ren. He consoled himself with thoughts of ripping into him when he came for his regular visit. 

“Hey, boss, you and your boy have a fight?” Fed said, hustling into the lobby and dropping the keys to the hotel van on the reception desk.

“Excuse me?”

“Your boy, saw him at the airport,” Fed explained. “Offered to bring him in and he said he was getting an Uber to the Hilton.”

Something went white hot in Hux and the pen in his hand snapped. There was a painful ache in his jaw. He stood and was efficient and polite the rest of his shift but the very second it was over he marched to the elevator, and up to his room. 

He was methodical in removing his uniform and pulling on jeans and a tshirt. His hands were perfectly controlled as he turned on his phone and opened his messenger. His heartbeat was erratic and the blood felt like it was rushing too fast under his skin but his breathing was calm as he tapped out a single message. 

_ Fuck you and your creepy old man. Asshole. _

He allowed himself to throw the phone across the room, the rage coiling in his chest appeased by the shattered crunch it gave as it hit the ground. He walked to his bed, collapsed and curled in on himself. 

 

Hux was good at shutting down and remaining functional. It was a basic survival trait. After his initial outburst he bought a new phone and retreated into a shell of cold efficiency. He threw himself into his work on the upcoming expansion.

“Working late again?” Phasma said, the Friday of Halloween just as she was getting ready to leave. 

“Well it won’t do itself,” Hux said, not looking up. 

“You know you can come with me to the Halloween Party. I could use a plus one.”

“Not interested.”

“Look,” she crossed the room and sat on the empty chair across from his desk. 

Hux looked up at her. “Not Interested.”

“I know with the break up and all-”

“What breakup?” Fury began to rush through him. 

“It was nice to see you - happy - and it’s been a couple months, maybe you should-”

“I’m not going to join some meat market because the world has decided we’re all better paired off. I  _ am _ happy so kindly take your meddling elsewhere.” Hux returned to his work.

“Hux.”

“Fuck off,” he said. She stood and he could feel her staring at him for a long minute before she sighed and walked off. 

Hux really did have a lot of work to do. Interviewing the short list of architecture firms for the design of a prototype of the new chain was set to begin soon. The consultant they’d hired had provided a short list of potentials and Hux needed to review them and narrow the list down to five hopefuls. 

_ It would be great if Ren were here, he’d know what I should be looking for.  _ Hux cursed his traitorous brain and mocked his aching heart. He didn’t need some pedo’s leftovers to help him, he told himself. 

 

_ Misery, that was Ben’s life after Hux. He’d prided himself on an almost seamless compartmentalization of his life: work, John, San Francisco; Hux and the strange taste of the air of his hotel. He’d told himself countless times that he could end his whatever with Hux whenever he wanted. And now it had ended and he  _ wanted _. _

_ “I have decided that it is time for you to stop moping,” John said, coming into the conference room where Ren sat alone sketching. Ren blinked and looked down realizing he’d sketched Hux’s face in place of a column. He crumpled the sketch and turned to John. _

_ “I’m not moping.” _

_ John casually slapped him across the face and humiliation burned in his blood. “Don’t lie to me, Ben,” he said.  _

_ He crossed to sit at the head of the conference table. He gripped the ends of the armrests on his chair and regarded his protege. “Imperial Hotels has put out a Request for Qualifications.” _

_ Ren’s stomach dropped.  _ No _.  _

_ “I will not tolerate weakness in you,” John said. “You know what you have to do.” _

_ “You can’t-”  _

_ John arched a brow and Ren ducked his head. “You will put together a proposal and we will go down there together. It is time that this infatuation is put to rest. It’s time you understood reality instead of pining away over a ridiculous fantasy.” _

_ “He’s not going to give me a job if I’ve broken up with him.” _

_ “That is not the point.” _

_ Ren sat in the conference room alone after John left, staring at the wall as the minutes ticked by before slowly rising and walking to the restroom to lose his dinner. _

 

The interviews began the week after Thanksgiving. Initial pleasantries at the beginning of the first four turned, invariably, to the freak blizzard of the year before. Hux barely contained his disdain for the banality of it all but Grandpa Tarkin eyed him with a look that was far too knowing after the fourth time their potential designer started on about the crazy Texas weather.

The morning of the last interview Hux and his grandfather sat in the hotel conference room and reviewed the applicants, not bothering to hide how unimpressive the interviews had been thus far. 

“This is just the first pass,” their consultant, a dry wisp of a man whose name Hux could never remember, assured them. “The client/ designer relationship is key to the success of any project. If none of these firms work out it will be better to continue searching rather than settle. But I really do think that this last one might be it.”

“I hope so,” Hux said, “as thus far it has been quite underwhelming.” Grandpa Tarkin grunted in agreement. 

“This last firm, honestly, is one I feel will be the best fit. They are rather large, nationally but are just growing a presence in the south and their lead Architect for this region is young but has already begun making a name for himself.”

A sick churning began roiling Hux’s gut. There was a knock at the door and Fed poked his head in and announced the next applicant. Grandpa Tarkin nodded and waved, indicating to let them in.

A fist slammed into Hux’s stomach as the door opened to Ren and an ancient old man beside him. Hux stood, knees locking to hold him up. Benjamin Solo and John Snoke were introduced and Hux heard nothing after their names as his blood roared in his ears. 

_ Ren _ . He hadn’t seen Ren in almost three months and now the man was sitting across from him looking like a kicked puppy. He felt like he was going to be sick. Grandpa Tarkin shot him a questioning look and Hux clenched his jaw and nodded, resolving to keep his eyes on the wall directly across from him.

“Let’s begin,” the consultant said. He stood and dimmed the lights and Ren’s presentation began. Against his will, Hux found himself listening, drawn in in first by the familiar, seductive tone of Ren’s voice, then enthralled by the clarity of his vision, the elegance of his design.

_ He’s good at this _ , Hux conceded. The thought broke him out of his trance and his eyes scanned the room, settling on the withered old man across from him. Bile rose in his throat. He closed his eyes and breathed, listening to the rumble of Ren’s voice. Then, back under Ren’s spell, he opened his eyes and focused as he described the intent of his design. 

The presentation was over too fast and one look at his grandfather’s face confirmed to Hux that Ren had just won the job. Hux really was going to be sick.

“If you’ll excuse me,” he said and stood without waiting for acknowledgement and left the room. His skin burned with the heat of Ren’s gaze. He rushed down the hall for the private employee restroom. 

He heard the conference door open behind him and he quickened his pace. 

“Hux.” He ignored Ren’s call and kept walking. “Hux, please.” He scrambled for his key card. He was steps away from escape. One breakdown. One. It was all he needed then he could work beside this man he loved - God he  _ did _ love him he realized in a brief moment of insanity.  _ The asshole _ . 

Just a few more steps. “Hux.” Ren’s voice was just over his shoulder. He keyed open the door. “Brendol-”

Hux whirled and slammed Ren into the wall. “Don’t  _ you _ ever call me that.”

“Please, Hux, please.”

“Please  _ what _ ,  _ Ben _ ?” Hux’s voice was a wip, striking at Ren. Ren’s eyes were red and glassy.

“I didn’t want to do this. Get this job. Leave you. John-” Ren licked his lips. “John found out about you. It’s why he came. Why we’re here.”

“Proving he owns you, is he?” Hux sneered. Ren looked helpless and Hux had never hated as deeply as he did in that moment. “Fuck you both,” he hissed. He let Ren go and turned, rekeying the door but not walking through.

“I’m sorry, Hux. I’m so sorry.”

“Leave him,” Hux said, the words coming, unbidden. He closed his eyes tight. “Leave him, Ren.” Fuck, but he was begging.

“I can’t-”

Hux turned back. “Why? Why can’t you leave that disgusting waste of a human being?”

“He’s all I have!”

Hux jerked back as if slapped. He straightened his jacket. “I see.” And he did see. 

“No, I didn’t mean- I don’t.” Ren’s hand gripped his arm.

“I suggest you sort your shit out, sir. And soon. He’ll leave you stranded with nothing eventually,” Hux said and he shrugged Ren off.  “If you’ll excuse me Mr. Solo.” Hux stepped into the restroom and collapsed.

Phasma came for him eventually, standing him up and turning on the tap in the sink so he could splash water in his face. She kept a hand on his elbow, guiding him down the hall. 

Hux stopped after a few steps, eyeing a large, fake, potted ficus. It was in the wrong spot. He shifted it aside with a toe and revealed a large, gaping hole in the wall. It was at the exact height of Ren’s arm. Hux wanted to laugh. His eyes burned. 

“How did-” Phasma started but Hux cut her off, striding off down the hall on his own, retreating to his room but falling onto the couch to sleep. He couldn’t bring himself to look at his own bed. 

 

Grandpa Tarkin found him in his office the next morning, calmly making a bill for repairs to be sent to Mr.  _ Ben Solo _ . 

Sure enough STH Associates had won the old man over. Hux wanted to scream, protest. He wanted to indulge in a tantrum. He offered no objections, though. Truly there were none to give. Ren’s plans had been transcendent. 

“You and your boy ended that bad?” Tarkin asked. Hux didn’t answer. “You going to have any problems working with him?”

There was only one answer to give. “I’ll do what needs to be done, sir.”

“Very well. I’ll instruct the lawyers to start looking over their contract,” Tarkin said, then saw himself out. 

At precisely 5:00 Hux shrugged out of his uniform jacket and planted himself at the restaurant bar. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you drink,” Mos said as she wiped down the counter. 

“Don’t talk,” Hux said evenly, “just get me vodka and don’t speak to me.”

She harrumphed and poured him a drink. 

Several hours later he sat in his darkened apartment, staring at the slowly spinning ceiling. There was a beep at his door and it clicked open. He stood and saw Ren standing in his kitchen.

“Why the hell are you standing in my apartment,  _ Ben _ ?” Hux spat.

“I want the job.” Ren said.

“Well congratulations.” Hux waved a hand. “You impressed Grandpa Tarkin. Your company is getting the fucking job.” 

“No  _ I  _ want the job.” Ren repeated, face earnest and open.

“Make sense…,” Hux sighed,  “or better yet, don’t and leave.” He moved as if to walk to his room.

Ren pulled his phone from his inside jacket pocket and his slender fingers dialed. His eyes never left Hux’s as he spoke to the man that answered the other line of the phone. “I quit. I’m not coming back. You’re probably not going to get the Tarkin Account. Oh and John, go fuck yourself.”

Ren slid the phone back into his pocket. “ _ I _ want the job.”

Hux crossed the few steps between them and pulled Ren into him.


	4. Epilogue

The sound of crisp footsteps echoed on the polished tile behind him. Hux stood, looking out a window at its view of downtown. Dusk was falling, the sky's warm glow fading to shades of blue and purple. The steps died a few feet behind him. Unturned, he addressed Ren. "You know I fundamentally disapprove of all of this." His voice was sharp and hard, full of disdain. 

Ren wasn't fooled. Arms wrapped around him. "You're not going to settle down like some breeder and play house?"

"I can't believe the old man kicked me out," Hux said.

"Were you going to live in the hotel forever?" Ren asked.

"Maybe."

"And what, I was just going to move in with you?"

Hux shrugged. "It worked fine for ove a year."

"Was it really a year?" Ren's hands began to stray and Hux gripped them and returned them to his waist. He hummed an answer to Ren's question.

"It didn't feel that long."

"That's because it wasn't really real," Hux explained.

"This feels real," Ren said and a roll of his hips pressed his erection against Hux.

Irritated, Hux hissed. Ren dropped his head to suck a kiss onto the pale curve of Hux's neck. Hux stiffened but didn't move away. "You know what I mean," Hux said.

"Liminality," Ren said and stood. "A transition from one thing to another, but not somewhere you actually stay, live."

"Transitory," Hux said. That's what they had been, trapped in his tiny apartment in a pseudo adolescence.

"Hotels are Limnal Spaces" Ren explained, the architect in him going pedantic. "And you wonder why your Grandfather kicked you out and insisted we get a place of our own?"

Hux shook his head. 

"It wasn't real, was it?" Ren asked. In a way it hadn't been. It had been an escape, a place where the rest of the world didn't matter. "But  _ we _ were real."

Hux turned in Ren's arms. "This is real." He kissed Ren. 

"You sure you don't want your own place?" Hux asked when they broke apart. Ren had never lived on his own, always living with the Supreme Leader after he'd left his parents.

Ren shook his head then kissed him again.

"Fine," Hux's sigh was long suffering. He pulled away to walk through the empty rooms of their new condo. "But I'm picking the furniture."

"Like hell you are, I'm a bloody designer."

"Yes," Hux allowed, "and you're designing my damn Hotel. I pick what goes on here."

Ren glared at him.

"You can do whatever you want in your office,” Hux allowed.

"How magnanimous."

Hux deigned to nod. 

Night had fallen and the colored city lights twinkled through the large floor to ceiling windows behind Ren. "You're an asshole," Ren said. Hux nodded again. 

"And you're ridiculous," Hux replied. Ren smiled and his hands moved to unfasten his tie. "You're not fucking me on the bare floor of our apartment.”  _ Our apartment _ . 

"No," Ren agreed. 

"Then what are you doing?" Hux asked as Ren began to undo his shirt.

" _ You're _ fucking me on the floor of our new apartment," Ren said evenly.

 

Later they sprawled on the floor, their clothes protecting them from the chill of the tile. Ren drowsed, naked and sated, curled into him. Hux dragged a lazy hand over his arms. 

He turned his thoughts over in his mind. He wasn't quite sure what he was feeling. This apartment with Ren was important, he was sure. He thought of the last time he'd felt this feeling and the image of his mother's face came to mind. 

She'd died when he was so young. He had to strain to recall the exact angle of her nose, the shade of the green of her eyes. He couldn't be sure he wasn't making it up as he remembered. But the sensation, the feeling, the memory of the way his childhood home had felt when she'd still been alive wasn't made up. 

Ren snored and Hux scowled at him, but pulled him tighter.

He scanned the empty room around him. It wasn't a room but a home. "Fuck, I'm settling down," he hissed.

A large hand patted awkwardly at his face.

"No crises after sex. Freak out tomorrow."

Hux jerked his head out from under Ren’s hand. “You’re insufferable.”

“Yes and now you have to live with me.”

“I don’t know about that.” Hux tried to make it a threat.

“You can’t live without me.”

“Shut up.” 

Smiling, Ren rolled to lean over him, arms on either side of Hux’s head, holding him up. “You’re in love with me, Brendol Hux.”

Hux bucked in a feeble attempt to dislodge him but Ren moved to kiss him. Traitorously, Hux’s lips kissed back. “And I love you,” Ren whispered against his lips.

“I hate you.”

Ren just laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks are in order. First for the Mods for the Kylux Big Bang for all their hard work in running this, then to my lovelies i-feel-electric and castastrophe, then to my lovely artist. This has been my first delightful foray into writing Kylux. If I hadn't half-dreamed Hux in a Manager's Uniform, none of this would be here. I hope you all enjoyed it.
> 
> Please scope out the artists for this fic [the-pudding-is-a-lie](http://the-pudding-is-a-lie.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr. If you're interested in my goings on, feel free to scope out my [StarWars blog](http://stormofkyluxuryjedipilots.tumblr.com/) or [my personal blog](http://mousiessisden.tumblr.com/).


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